


Jagged Edge

by vesta_xx



Series: Seconds and Thirds [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-05-23 12:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6116248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesta_xx/pseuds/vesta_xx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From one adventure to another, Zi Ying's ready to tackle Mount Chimney and the Jagged Pass, dragging along a reluctant Darwin with her. But what else lies in store?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jagged Edge 2.1

"You're gonna get me all dirty!"

"But we're gonna get dirty anyway!"

"That doesn't mean we have to be covered in soot and ash even before we reach the volcano! There's plenty of it there!"

I was romping around in the sooty grass, making a dust storm around me. Darwin shrieked, then kept a respectable distance behind me, although he'd never be safe from the ash monster that is _moi_. Two weeks have come and gone, and we left the comfort of home just half an hour ago.

We'd have to pass through Route 113, the only ground path out of Fallarbor towards general civilization. The route snowed layers upon layers of volcanic ash, a trademark of the area. In fact, one of the reasons Fallarbor has evolved into a farming community was due to it being situated so close to the volcano. Chimney might be dormant, but sporadic volcanic activity that did not include eruptions meant that the ash and soot raining on us helped to give its own unique, earthy nutrients to our soil. Like the volcano was merely coughing, rather than belching. It made the location an ideal place for growing crops.

I had Darwin make and hold a sign: 'Not Interested In Your Stupid, Lousy Battles. Just Passing Through', because there were always silly wannabe ninjas hiding in hilariously bad cardboard cutouts of trees, waiting to spring upon any unwitting traveler. They always came across as a joke, but as a resident of the general vicinity, they've become more than a mild nuisance, into very irritating kids. There was also an abundance of wild Spindas, who never knew where they were going - so they somehow congregate in the place that makes the least sense for them to be in. And revealing in the haziness of it all would be a few stray Koffings, and Slugmas slithering around, children of Chimney itself. We had sprayed on really thick Repels to prevent any of them from bothering us.

Now would also be a good time as any to introduce the Pokemon side of Team Chimney. All the usual rascals were here with me, with the addition of one more playful Skiddo, my trusty steed. I had however 'loaned' Ralts to Darwin, because she has such an affinity with him - psychic types tend to. Sometimes, Munna is simply not enough. Ralts' boundless empathy via Trace also allows me to in a sense, know when I'm overstepping my boundaries. The last friend we had was Darwin's Aron, an adorable bundle of steel from his father, who works as a miner in Granite Cave.

Darwin suggested we check out the Glass Workshop situated nearby, but that was just so super nerdy and unadventurey - we are on a gruelling trial of fire, Darwin, not tourists from Kalos looking to appropriate Hoenn’s culture - that I dismissed it. He whined, so I half promised that if he behaved, we could visit on our way back. He complied, but not without a lot of grumbling.

I should also clarify exactly what we were doing. This is a Chimney expedition, but technically… not really. We weren't climbing the mountain - if a marathoner like Contessa had no confidence, how would two scrawny teens manage? Even if Contessa was implying the harder, more dangerous route of ascension - going directly up the volcano face from the sides - the second, easier way was no small feat either. Going up the Jagged Pass is known to be utter suicide if you're unprepared.

So instead, more for Darwin's benefit than my own, we'd head out of 113 into Triple 1, which goes into 112, and then explore the Fiery Road first, because that's a highlight. Then, we'll take the cable car all the way up to Chimney, break for a meal and marvel at the sights and view, before we start our real journey: descending the Jagged Pass. Then that leads us directly out to Lavaridge, where we'll enjoy the hot springs as a reward because why not?

I know I know! It sounds super easy, which is why we're adding a bit of a twist. But I don't want to spoil everything, so let's just see how this unfolds.

We trekked past the ash laden landscape, making sure to spray sporadic bouts of Repel on us. That led us out to Route 111, and led quickly into Route 112. My impeccable sense of direction and knowing that Darwin would chicken out if not for necessity, made me steer us into the route entrance that necessitated we traveled through the Fiery Path. Route 112 was bifurcated into two, the sweltering cavern the only passageway joining both halves.

Reluctantly, Darwin had to follow me in, and we had to immediately take off our first protective layer, bringing us down to our tees. Fiery Path after all cut through Mount Chimney, and just like the base of all chimneys, was a fireplace that threatened to cook anyone within.

It would make a banging natural hot springs though.

Despite how hot and uncomfortable he was, Darwin immediately took to his surroundings. It was a natural marvel, the cave bringing us a world of deep red, with tints of brown. The walls and rocks had a bumpy texture, a gradient spanning burgundy to garnet to sangria, no doubt due to the presence of iron. Steam periodically forced itself out of the cracks, like geysers, the volcano letting out pressure from time to time. The place would've teemed with wild Pokemon, but we kept our Repels up.

Fletchling seemed to enjoy it the most, like a warm nest for him that reminded him of his days in incubation. Egg days. Ralts was blushing, flustered, but otherwise showed little signs of discomfort. Aron looked just at home, as though born in the forge, only to become harder and stronger. The cute little thing tottered along, walking across the hot floor like it was nothing. The other Pokemon showed varying levels of minor stress but was otherwise alright. They'd all been mentally prepared for this.

I made sure to constantly give Skiddo a little bit to drink. It wouldn't do to have a mini forest fire in here, or for him to dehydrate - which he could, very easily. 

The path was generally deserted, because few would enter in the first place, and even fewer would think of staying for prolonged periods, given how hot it was. It was beyond common sense to not set up camp here, given the enclosed space made a deadly combination with the heat. Like a sauna, it was good for staying in, but not for prolonged periods of time. I gave ourselves two hours max.

Boulders prevented our access into the deeper areas of the Path, but we didn't really need to go there. Our Pokemon did put up a good show though, attempting to heave and roll the boulders, but they simply wouldn't budge. We didn't have the HM and none of us were able to move it through pure strength alone. It was a good workout though, and Darwin seemed happy to have had a good sweat. That was good. Those endorphins were essential in keeping his morale high.

Then the noise came.

It echoed throughout the Path, but was a mere whimper. The first time, we dismissed it, probably a shriek from the steam squeezing through the walls, the music of the volcano. But after the second and third times, it became painfully apparent the noise belonged to a living soul.

I might pride myself on compassion, but Darwin is beyond selfless. He wasted no time, immediately turning towards the direction of the sound and ran towards it. However, he lacks the guts to follow through, or do much about it. That's where I come in, I suppose. He has a great deal of anxiety, as in the clinical, medical term. It's something he's very touchy about, but wants to be able to do something about it. That's also where I come in. I'm no psychologist, and exposure-theory is nowhere near scientific, but if him gaining new experiences out there might help him… maybe, yeah. But for now, we'd have to help whatever poor creature was making the noise.

Noibat helped, sound always being her thing. The Fiery Path has a long, wide main stretch, with few turns until you got out the other side. But there are always branches, into smaller, winding roads, which were always more treacherous. The walls were more rugged, jagged rock sticking out and threatening to harm if you weren't careful. There were narrow passages you had to inch yourself through. It was very easy to get lost, but like any responsible camper I brought my neon stickers as well as a Joltik. Plus there's Noibat too, who can discern the general structure and hence the way out of the Path. Nope, we wouldn't be helplessly lost this time.

Darwin took the lead, but I had to egg him onwards. Every little burst of smoke had him recoiling in horror, but once it got past him that the most they'd do was give a gust of warm air, it bothered him less. We walked for what must've been five minutes, when we found the source.

Crouched in a corner, against the wall, a Cubone was sobbing. They had their backed turned towards us, and gave a timid glance behind before turning away, continuing to cry. From the puny size of the Pokemon and the fragments of egg shell that littered their surroundings, it was easy to deduce that they'd just been brought into this world. Their parents or trainer must've left the egg here, where the natural warmth of the surroundings helped incubate the baby until it hatched. Scared and alone in a frightening new world, no wonder it was crying.

Darwin took a step towards Cubone, and then another, almost equally scared of them as they were of him. There was nothing rational about this, but that was alright. He needed to do this himself. He extended his hand, unsure, drawing it back before reaching out again, wanting to pet and embrace the poor newborn. It took him a full four minutes to surmise the courage, before crouching down and hugging the Cubone, hoping super hard they wouldn't lash out at him and club him with their bone.

And they stood there, hugging in muted silence, only the whistling of the mountain echoing throughout the caverns.

With what I can only construe as an innate maternal instinct, Darwin let the Cubone sob into his shirt, not so much out of sadness but of relief, their little body heaving, as his hands pat the back of the little one, letting them know everything's alright. When Cubone had calmed down, they looked at Darwin with such expectant eyes that I knew from then on, they would be inseparable. Cubone first saw Darwin since they were hatched - a being that treated them with the utmost kindness. No doubt the burden of raising the infant would fall on his shoulders, and they'd look towards Darwin as a parent. Heavy responsibilities for a 13 year old kid.

"Well," Darwin looked towards me, tearing a little. "This was unexpected, but it looks like our party has just increased by one."

"I think we have enough supplies to make that happen," I grinned. Like me, Darwin was kind of convinced that Pokemon shouldn't have to stay in Pokeballs. He would probably use one on Cubone later, to officiate the capture, something I wouldn't do. Well, he met things halfway there, I suppose.

Skiddo trotted over, curious but also to share the moment. He nuzzled them, letting himself settle within the comfortable crook between Cubone and Darwin. Joltik had already jumped from my neck, scurrying halfway there. The other Pokemon looked at me, hopeful with anticipation. I relented, nodding and allowing them to all join in.

It was a very heartwarming moment, seeing them all cuddle up. Like welcoming Cubone to the extended family. Noibat squawked, a cue for me to join. The rest erupted in chorus, and I jogged over, before letting myself be carried away by the embrace. I had never been in a group hug before. It felt… really comforting.

We held that position for about half a minute, before breaking off, all riled up and ready to move on. Darwin had allowed Cubone to sit on his shoulders. We'd also managed to ascertain that Cubone was a she, so that was settled.

"Ready to move on?" I asked, lending him a helping hand to steady Cubone, as Noibat prepared to chart a course for us back out.

"Yeah," Darwin proclaimed, now blazing with new motivation and responsibilities, the heat no longer something that bothered him. Cubone allowed herself to rest her chin on top of Darwin, her crooked skull almost like an ominously adorable skullcap that fitted him. It was slightly jagged at the edges, but nothing sharp enough to hurt him.

Mount Chimney still awaits us. It was time to go up.

And what goes up must come down.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's the beginning of a new arc! As usual it doesn't seem like a lot is happening, but knowing Zi Ying, things are sure to escalate. We'll be moving on from Contessa and will be spending a lot more time with Darwin, so I hope you're ready!
> 
> Seconds and Thirds has always been an experimental thing, so there will be some more new things I'll be trying in this arc. Stay tuned, and enjoy.
> 
> Thank you for reading, comments always appreciated!


	2. Jagged Edge 2.2

 

Packed meals always go a long way on a journey like this. We had rationed four sandwiches each - we had left home after lunch, way past noon, and we expected the trip to last two days (we would also scavenge for top ups for that extra meal). By the time we got out of the Fiery Path all sweaty and exhausted, it was closer towards the evening. Having had a ton of calories burnt away, we decided to consume dinner before taking the cable car up.

I had seen the sun set over the Hoenn skyline numerous time before, but Darwin hadn't. This would be his first.

We caught a ride up once we satisfied and full, a scenic ascent lasting twenty whole minutes. There was still some time to spare till sundown when we alighted, so we trudged nearer to the center of Chimney, towards its infamous crater.

The lava bubbled, the same way it had for many, many years. Chimney wasn't a large volcano, but it wasn't small either. The geothermal energy that was but a fraction of its full capacity was able to power an entire town, and then some more. It was just a mere leak, yet the thousands of tons of shifting magma was able to produce something useful. It spoke of nature's magnitude, how devastating it could be.

For Cubone, it was a sight to see just hours after hatching. Darwin made sure she sat on his shoulders, afraid she might walk off due to idle curiosity and get into danger. Millennia of evolutionary instinct would've ingrained her to avoid natural hazards, but we weren't sure whether she had the mental capabilities to process that yet.

There were other hikers and tourists, and a group of elderly doing tai-chi in a corner. Chimney was always one of Hoenn's biggest attractions, possibly the most accessible one. That was why we chose to come on a weekday - weekends would've been too crowded. From the corner of my eye I spotted two mountaineers - a couple - having reached the top of Chimney via the Jagged Pass. They were carrying haversacks, and looked completely tired out. But they look strongly built, defined muscles from the shoulders to arms, and stocky legs that were the foundation of their powerhouse. They must have trained relentlessly for this, made sure they were at the peak of their physical and mental fitness, plotted and practiced makeshift courses, grilling themselves on gruelling drills like securing proper footholds. I congratulated them from the sidelines, for ascending was always no mean feat. The effort and preparation gone into it alone was a mammoth task.

And then when Darwin had his fill of envisioning fifty ways of dying via lava, we turned around, heading towards the edge of the volcano. It was just about time either, as the sun started to duck beneath the horizon, painting the sky with a palette of warm colours that echoed autumn.

To see the entirety of Hoenn beneath you is always simultaneously empowering and humbling. A vast expanse of nature and civilization, intertwined in a diverse ecosystem of a multitude of habitats; a plethora of niches filled and adapted by the humans and Pokemon that coexist. There was the city, the forests, the beaches, the oceans, the mountains and caves; the hot and cold, the dry and wet. Hoenn was a balanced region in its own unique right, with complementing cultures with embedded subcultures making it all the more fascinating. Taking it all in at one shot reminded you of how big it all is, how grateful you were to be a part of it. But also how small a part you play. It was an experience bordering on religious that I was sure Darwin was partaking in.

Cubone rocked on his shoulders, excited, and both Munna and Ralts had to calm the energetic fella down. She was a handful, an active one from the likes of it. Reminded me an awful lot of myself. I extended a single second of pity and sympathy for my aunts, but no more.

"This is... quite some view," Darwin breathed, still taking it all in, as though committing to his almost-eidetic memory every little detail from afar.

I nodded. "Yeah, that was like my first time too."

"You sure have had a lot of firsts, haven't you?" Darwin said, more of a statement than a question.

"Sure, but you probably have a few firsts on me," I assured him. "Maybe someday, you'll have had more experiences than me."

Darwin seemed to ponder for a moment before asking. "Ever started a buggy before?"

I shook my head, knowing he was grinning. "Well that's one for me," he replied.

"When did you do that?" I knew Darwin was good with machines, being more savvy with technology than me. I never knew much about that part of him though.

"Back at Dewford, around a year ago," he recalled. "Mom and I wanted to scour the beach, so we boot up the buggy to make things faster. She let me take the wheel." Darwin seemed to swell with pride at recounting this memory. It must've been one of his better moments back on the sandy islet.

"Bone! Bone!" Cubone starting bouncing quite a bit and we had to carry her before she sprained Darwin's neck. She was flailing her arms, still ebullient and full of raw energy.

Darwin carried her at the armpits, and took a deep breath before holding her perilously off the edge, letting the thrill seep into the both of them. Cubone squirmed with joy, and Darwin brought her back far before he felt it was uncomfortable, and then hugged her tight. Sensing his other Pokemon wanted to dangle with nothing between them, he rolled up his sleeves before doing the same with Aron and Ralts. It was a fun scene of bonding, and I would've if I could - all my Pokemon could either already fly or were too heavy to lift (Skiddo) or too small for anything to be consequential. I held a finger out for Joltik to peer off, but that was it.

Night fell once again, and the glow of the lava cut through the night, an unceasing source of energy, an infant sun that never sleeps inside a cradle of earth. We started on the Jagged Pass, stepping carefully with torches and ambient light from Chimney and Fletchling. We found a large enough patch of grass to set up camp, and began business of establishing our territory.

The makeshift tent was rudimentary, hastily assembled and only meant as a temporary shelter from the elements - rain and ash. We planted four stakes in the ground, scented with Max Repel before applying it to ourselves. Fletchling helped kindle and get a modest camp-fire going on, to drive away more wild Pokemon. We settled the problem of Slugmas with an extra boundary of salt, a layer that prevented them from getting any closer.

But the night was still young. Far too young. We could afford a few more precious hours of wakefulness. Gathered around our crackling hearth, we adopted one of the greatest traditions of our kind - telling stories.

There were a myriad to choose from, and one of each genre was brought to life with the vividness of oral painting. Ghost stories were always a favourite - possessed beings and haunted houses, enigmatic artifacts and the legends of ancient, eldritch times. Then there were tales from our past, memories twisted to form a cohesive but more interesting narrative. A mix of humour, reminiscence and moral anecdotes. Folklore was another popular choice, chock full of beautiful allegories and metaphorical symbolism. They contained far-fetched explanations of the unknown, and childhood universals with a grim twist. We reveled in each of them, laughing and wincing and even tearing up at each of these heartfelt stories, supplemented with the chatter of our own Pokemon, who were always there, always listening, always participating. Noibat would screech at me when I got a crucial detail wrong; Ralts would roll her eyes when Darwin got a little too cheesy. That was how it went, until our throats grew hoarse, and we gulped the last of the day's rations to rehydrate and keep those important vocal chords moist.

 

And exhausted, we retreated into our rolled out sleeping bags, waiting for dawn to break once again. But not before our own flame tired out as well, burning up the wood and thus marking the end of the day's story.

* * *

We woke up to the churning of lava, splashed loud enough to displace some rock, molten magma dashed against the crater. The volcano was getting more active, but we'd still be okay for now. We packed up, all ready to start the day ahead.

After a short debate, we went back up to the Chimney's peak for one last jab at supplies at the gift shop, before heading back down. A kindly old lady would always be selling delicious Lava Cookies at the entrance of the Jagged Pass, as long as there was light. Darwin and I pooled money to get one for everyone, and then a few more extras as contingencies and rewards.

Descending down the Jagged Pass proper was at most a 90 minute trip, hardly a real challenge except maybe for a half-day family trip or for trainers to blaze across on foot when they needed to get to Lavaridge (the only way). But definitely not something that would span a full day.

So our plan was to do minor detours. The Jagged Pass was just a stretch among the many surfaces around the edge of Chimney, in fact named so as the only one civilians could traverse without fear of accidents. That was also why it was the easier way up: whether due to elements natural or otherwise, the Jagged Pass was easier to cross. We would go down the Jagged Pass, but only using it as a rough guideline. Where possible, we'd take off to the sides, a little more adventure and risk, but nothing life threatening. We'd scout each area beforehand - courtesy of Noibat - who'd let us know how the terrain was. Including rest time, I calculated that by the time we reached Lavaridge, it'd be close to nightfall, and we could get some accommodation to tide the night, before another day of recovery at the town. Then we'd head back home.

It was baby steps at first. Cubone was still learning how to walk properly, and not you know, dance to her death off the edge. We then decided that either Skiddo or the two humans could take turns to carry her. But Darwin needed the most help, mentally speaking. Cubone had little inhibitions, but Darwin had plenty.

To boost his confidence, we stayed on the normal path for about 10 minutes. It's just like walking down an uneven set of stairs, having to detour a lot on patches of grass to find the safest way to descend - this general anarchy being one of the strongest proponents for the Jagged Pass being naturally formed. There were few leaps that needed to be made (no more than waist level), and it was a piece of cake as long as you were alert. It was harder getting us all into a compact herd, but we were here for the challenge anyway.

Noibat returned from preliminary scouting, and informed us it was safe to take a left up ahead, into a path beyond the Pass. We sidestepped across a perilous edge - a stretch of 7 meters before dropping down a full 1.5 meters, into territory outside the range of the Pass. The fun begins.

Of course, it was meant to be difficult for me as well, with the burden of everyone's general safety on my shoulders. Responsibility not being one of my strong suits, this would stretch me.

Darwin needed more than a push on one occasion. There was a point where he stood stranded for over 20 minutes at the same spot, afraid to progress any further but also unable to move back. Even though all the Pokemon were encouraging him, he still stood paralyzed - which is always a valid way of reacting to and expressing fear, except it wasn't very helpful if he wasn't going to move. So with the help of an uncoiled Escape Rope (legitimate ones this time as we couldn't leave everything to Joltik) along with string reinforcement from our favourite little bug, I had to drag him almost screaming downwards, and letting him cry into my shoulder out of relief when he did it. He deserved it, after all, and I felt pretty proud that I could help.

There was another stretch which was rather dangerous - a steep, muddy slope with little footholds but plenty of stray branches and roots for us to grab on to as we slid to flat ground. This would pose little challenge if not for a) having Pokemon without opposable thumbs b) not knowing which of the holds were tight or loose.

Solving a) was quite simple after a bout of brainstorming. Skiddo was the only one who had a problem and couldn't be carried, but we could ai) use the Escape Rope to hold him as he fell aii) he could use his mouth to grab at stuff although this was also quite dangerous aiii) he was a freaking goat; goats are generally alright on such terrain. In fact keeping that in mind, we dumped a reasonable amount of our load on him, strapping our packs to Skiddo. That was another reason why we brought him, and since he had all four feet planted on the ground, why not make himself useful?

The latter part of the problem was harder, but in the end we settle with sending Fletchling and Noibat out to scout once more, tugging lightly on the branches we think would make a good path to ensure their stability. Once we charted a path, they would guide us down one by one. The strongest ones would have to be at the front and rear, so I volunteered to lead with Fletchling, while Skiddo and Noibat took the flank. We'd sandwich the weaker ones as we descended.

I made it down easily enough - a 30 meter stretch at about a 45 degree angle. There was a bit of pushing off, and always making sure I had a good grasp on the thick, spiraling roots, but otherwise I was fine. I dusted myself off as I turned to receive the rest.

Joltik rode on my shoulder as always, and Ralts followed close behind, the rationale being that her psychic ability would help break Darwin's fall if any. Munna hovered next to Darwin, who was next in line, Aron digging his feet into the mud at arm's length away from him. Skiddo and Noibat were the last to start going down. Ralts could almost float down, and landed by my side by the time Skiddo made the first step.

Ralts tugged at my cargo jeans, and she pointed straight at Darwin, rather flustered. It took me a full second to realize what was wrong.

"Oh shit. Where's Cubone?"

Darwin's excruciating concentration broke immediately, and he almost fell due to his flailing. Ralts and Munna had to steady him as he turned and twisted anxiously, looking for where Cubone was, she was supposed to be on his shoulders...

And then Noibat spotted her, a full 10 meters to his right, teetering close to the crumbly edge, and Darwin held back a silent scream.

"Don't panic! Don't move!" I shouted, as I already began climbing up again, digging my prosthetic heel into the muddy slope as I grabbed roots to scramble towards Cubone. But Darwin had already shut me off, into full panic mode, desperate and terrified.

"Fuck," I muttered, as Fletchling darted past me, circling around Cubone to try to tell her to stay put. Unfortunately, the sudden, sharp movement startled her. Skiddo and Noibat were already heading to our position, a detour for them as well to secure the baby.

It was all going so horribly wrong before I could stop it.

Skiddo was off course, and hurled himself onto branches we hadn't tested. Predictably, one gave away and the poor goat yelped as he came tumbling, accelerating towards Cubone. Noibat raced after him, trying to stop him, but to little avail. Fletchling tried to carry Cubone to safety, but wasn't strong enough. Ralts hitched herself on my back, doing everything she could with Munna to make Darwin not-die. Aron was tagging along because why the fuck not? Misery enjoys company.

I could see it happen before it did. Darwin reached Cubone, hugging her so tight it would've been uncomfortable. Skiddo crashed into them, hurtling them off the edge...straight into me. The flying Pokemon were helpless, blowing gusts of wind to hinder our descent but we were already all falling.

And then we landed, on of all things, a stray tree-bush-shrub thing. I don't know. Miracles happen, and it cushioned our fall. We were scattered on the pile of leaves, and being mostly uninjured, I reached for the Escape Rope tied to the belt around my waist, and began feeding it to Darwin and Cubone. I tied the other end to a branch, the nearest anchor i could find.

Skiddo's group and mine were closer together, more towards the perimeter of the tree thing, so we were closer to land. Darwin and Cubone had flown to be more towards the middle, a distance away. If only we could get back to rock and haul them back in...

Snapping filled my ears before I could even get up and steady. The fact that our combined weight was too heavy hardly even registered as the fallen tree gave way, a gaping hole opening up beneath us and the ground rushing up to meet us.

 

We were falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens.
> 
> I've rediscovered an old gem - the Hemingway app! It's going to be the primary platform where I'll be doing my editing. Has it helped my writing in any way from this point onwards? Do tell!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and comments always appreciated.


	3. Jagged Edge 2.3

The ground was hot beneath me, as I struggled to keep upright. I was failing. My legs slid down the almost vertical rock, hands still gripping the Escape Rope and I was going to get blisters if I didn't let go soon enough. Instincts told me to hold on, but I remembered that I could remain unscathed even from tall heights. I let myself go, my wheels already out, my prosthetic booster activation mechanism somehow already ingrained in me instinctively - tap bang! - as the thrust helped decelerate my fall. My body jerked as I descended, before curling into a roll to take the pressure off my good knee, then braking. Not a problem at all.

First, I checked on everyone's status. Joltik was a little roughed up and frazzled, but still alright on my shoulder. Skiddo had... skid down with me, and was more or less alright. Cubone was wailing, Aron was in a daze, Ralts was feeling agony that wasn't just her own. Darwin lay in a heap. I checked his breathing - alright. Probably a concussion of sorts.

I checked my status. Being closer to the edge of the hole, Skiddo's party and I could use friction against the wall to slow down our fall. Aside from minor blisters I was fine. Fine enough to ignore myself for the moment.

Then I sized up the hole we fell through. At least a 7 meter drop, a fall concealed by unsteady branches and leaves. Noibat didn't feel like she needed to inform me, because it was away from the intended path. This is why you don't let babies of any kind out of your sights.

Despite the trouble Cubone had landed us in, she was still scared, vulnerable, and clueless. Also definitely hurt after bumping her head, as well as minor bruises from tumbling down. She was developing a large swell at the corner of her jaw, the place which hurt the most. Being superficially - aka not at all - trained in medicine, I dumped all our healing items onto the floor. Lava Cookies. That would ease the burn on any Pokemon that needed it now. That would be Cubone and Ralts. There was Oran Berry cream I could apply, a medicated paste for basic wounds and bruises. The graceful being I am, I fumbled with the tube and cotton buds, doing my best to keep Cubone calm and tend to her injuries while remaining level headed myself. She became more quiet after a while, and I gave Munna a pleading look to appease the infant while I tended to the others.

Darwin would be next. A huge chunk of Ralts' pain was due to her Trace, and that wouldn't do.  Had to treat others to treat her. I applied the same cream, and tried to get him to nibble on the Lava Cookie, and to rehydrate himself. On some level, the mystical properties of the various berries that helped relieve Pokemon of their status conditions passed on to humans as well.

Luckily, none of us were seriously injured. If anyone was bleeding rivers, I would've been at a loss, helpless.

But the situation was rather bleak, as it stood.

I surveyed my surroundings once again. It was a peculiar place, but not something I hadn't seen before. More like some twisted mash up. The caverns we were in felt like the Fiery Path, the suffocating heat and steam against an endless canvas of red. But the terrain was like the Jagged Pass, treacherous - perhaps even more so. Bits of blue streamed in from holes above, but they were too high up for us to ascend again. If only...

Darwin came to, stirring and coughing, interrupting my thoughts. "W...where are we..?"

"This place is neither the Jagged Pass or Fiery Path, but somewhere in-between," I answered, still trying to take everything in. "A kind of rocky limbo within and without Mount Chimney."

"So you're saying we're inside some... hollowed out shell within the exterior of Chimney?" Darwin was still incredulous, head throbbing.

I shrugged. "I guess. Chimney is rather big after all. It wouldn't surprise me that such a structure exists within. Considering how we fell... it's the most logical explanation."

Cubone was now all curled up, a fetal position and purring peacefully in rest. "Is she... okay?" Darwin's heart raced, the adrenaline fueling his shock and concern.

"Yeah she's fine," I assured him, before finally tending to my own injuries. I asked Darwin to get Munna to stabilize Ralts, who was feeling better but not yet alright. The pain stung, ugly lashes where the sizzling, rocky teeth met my skin. It was superficial, but needed patching up. Besides grime and small scratches, my prosthetic had no problems. I was pretty glad I managed to get that upgrade, or this would've been bad.

"So," Darwin said after we were all roughly dealt with. "We need an out, obviously. We can't stay trapped in here with limited rations and in an inhospitable environment."

"Mm," I nodded, mind still racing to solve this particular problem. "Working on it."

He stared at me for what must've been a few minutes, before speaking up again. "Are you really thinking that hard? Or did you hit your head or something?" Wow, harsh. I suppose the fall made him grouchy, or he was overcompensating for guilt or something.

"I am perfectly fine," I replied, making sure my words were clear. "Unless you could tell me what the problem is?"

"For someone who claims to be a good problem solver, it's pretty far fetched if you can't see the solution." Darwin said, as though completely matter of fact. "Get one of the flying types to bring the rope up, attach it to a solid anchor, and then we can get up. If there's nothing or we're too injured or heavy, we call for help. You have your emergency phone right? If there's no signal, we send out the flying types again to call for help."

I mumbled something even I couldn't make out, and set to implementing his solutions, step by step. Fifteen minutes after sending Noibat out, she returned with no hope for an anchor. So we would need to call for help. My cell as expected, couldn't get reception. So yeah, we were stuck.

Darwin must've seen me stare at my useless phone for like a minute before he scolded me again. "What's the big idea? Send them out for help already! You know your cell's useless so..?!"

I took a deep breath, murmuring what would come next. "I can't."

"Huh?" Darwin wasn't sure if he misheard me.

"I can't," I said, a little bit louder, but firm and clear. I continued to explain before he could lash out again. "It's... not safe. My Pokemon aren't...'officially' mine. They don't have a trainer tag that comes with capturing them with a Pokeball. You know this. They're as good as wild. And both Noibat and Fletchling are rare, aren't native to Hoenn. If they got caught..."

Darwin facepalmed, his expression all scrunched up. "And you still insist on being so stubborn when we're stuck here like this..?"

"I'm not..!" I choked out. "I'm not... being difficult here!"

"So why is it you can't?!" Darwin shouted, but more of fear than any sort of righteous anger. "I know you want your Pokemon to follow you out of their will and blah blah I've heard it so many times! But can't you just bend the rules and then like, just throw a Pokeball at them for now? You can release them later right? Just do it!"

"I can't!" I was almost as stressed as him, on the verge of tears. "Not just because I don't want to but cause I physically can't! Do you have any Pokeballs on you? Because I sure don't!"

He turned, snapping, his expression contorted into disbelief and rage. “Don’t make excuses! We’re stuck in this mess, you’re the one who wanted this in the first place, get to it! Wha- what if we die here, huh? What if I can never go back? Do you know how worried my parents will be? Do you know what burden I’ve just placed on them by being stuck here, if I can’t go back? If I can’t-” he twisted, fingers dug deep into his scalp even Munna unable to calm him down now.

“Darwin-"

“Well, have you gotten any brilliant new ideas? Because if not, and you insist on being so damn freaking stubborn, then that’s just rich, because if you don’t have some place to go back to, I do, so thank you very much!”

Darwin stood shocked, our words echoing through the empty caverns. Steam and sloshing lava from under the earth way below us punctured the silence, as we took a minute to compose ourselves. He sniffled, curling and shrinking himself, putting distance between us. I wanted to appease him, but I just… I let him down.

"I'm sorry." Darwin brought his voice back to a trembling whisper. "It's just that, I'm stressed because this is mostly my fault and-" he sniffed, before taking a deep breath. "I just want to get home safe."

"I know, I know," I whispered back, still aware that we didn't have a solution. Not a permanent one anyway. It took me a while, but the silence helped me clear my mind and collect my thoughts. I hoped this would be enough, that this would make it better.

"I'll compromise," I announced. "If by nightfall, we still don't have a concrete way out, I'll send Noibat, okay? It's dark and she can travel under the cover of night, so it's safer." Sacrifices had to be made, but I could always weigh the risk against the benefits.

Darwin nodded, satisfied, and now there was the question of not wasting our next few hours and thinking of a way out. At the same time, we had to stretch our resources, and focus on keeping ourselves alive. A tad bit more than we bargained for when we first set out on this expedition.

Limiting our movement until we knew what to do would be wise. Unnecessary energy expenditure and sweating even more than usual would not do us good. Once again, the inherent usefulness of a Water type was becoming more obvious. Dehydration would be nothing when you have a partner that served as an endless supply. And this heat! A dousing would have made it much more tolerable. And the obvious type advantage against the wild - since we were running out of Repels and engagement would just add more problems to the plate. Yes, a water Pokemon would be swell.

Additionally, we should nap in shifts if we are to be active in the night, but also to be on the lookout. Darwin could take the first, given how he needs to rest his head.

"So, are you grounded for eternity?"

Darwin broke the silence, an attempt at humour. I hadn't even thought about that ever since we fell. "No! Don't be ridiculous!"

"But you landed yourself in danger again," Darwin continued, giving a worried smile and his reminder at the reality of our situation.

Still, I was pretty sure that the adults would at least be understanding about this. "It wasn't because of my recklessness or whatever. It was a genuine accident. If anything, it was your carelessness if they feel that there's a narrative they need to explain this."

"Yeah, that's why I'd feel guilty if you were," Darwin whispered. I felt super bad for him, since he was only acting out of instinct, fear and concern for his new partner's safety.

I put an arm around him. "Hey, it isn't your fault, okay? No matter what anyone says."

Darwin wasn't listening. "Maybe if you didn't try helping..."

"Oh Arceus, no!" I faced him, rocking him to knock some sense in and wring the guilt out of him. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you too! How am I supposed to face your family if something happened?"

"But I got you dragged into this too," he mumbled, eyes downcast. "Maybe you could've still been up there and you could bring the rope down and pull me up and we wouldn't all be stuck down here."

"Look, maybe if I wasn't there you wouldn't have had something to collide into, and momentum might have carried you further. You all might've died flying over the edge." As I said the words I felt sick to my stomach, and shoved the possibility of that happening far away to the deepest recesses of my mind. Paranoia can be disturbingly powerful. "Whatever it is, this is our situation now, so let's not get hung up on what-ifs. We'll get through this, as we always do."

I squeezed his hand, a gesture of final affirmation. I twisted his hand such that our pinkies intertwined, locked in the universal gesture of commitment. "I promise, we'll be fine."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Darwin joked, a half smile from his lips. But I know he appreciated the sentiment, his breathing more stable, his tense body more relaxed.

"I know," I said, closing my eyes to let myself have this moment of reprieve as well. "I know."

* * *

The sun hung above us, the high noon heat compounding with Chimney's, as we roasted into soufflé. We had no choice but to strip down to almost our underwear, then laying the floor with our clothes and tent to prevent it from burning our bare skin.

We slept in three hour shifts, and I was in the middle of my first. I consumed lunch, before starting to think of solutions to get out.

Noibat and I tried listening to the river of lava, thinking that we could follow the direction of its flow it would lead us to the exit. It was a mistake of course, once we realized. Besides toiling around in circles, there was only one other way lava could flow, and we wanted to be far, far away when that happened.

I studied the shape of the cavern, which seemed to retreat into the base of the cavern. Noibat and Fletchling were my scouts as usual, and we were able to discern that while the Pass seemed a product of the elements, this had an unnatural vibe to it. The hollowness just didn't fit.

Fletchling could be a flare into the darkness, Noibat relying on something outside of sight. Echolocation did the heavy lifting, allowing me to mentally chart great distances without actually traversing them.

Two hours were well spent into this endeavour, and we managed to plot a safe course downwards. I know it sounds stupid, with us being closer towards the lava and hence danger. but it prevented us from heights, which was a more immediate danger, and riskier. Lava could be avoided and you could leave without a limb or two. Falling from tens of meters upwards was a sure-way ticket to the underworld.

On top of that, we found various branching routes, the kinds present in the Path but deeper in, more convoluted, and seemingly constructed with more purpose. It was a venture into another unknown, but what we knew was that chambers were likely down there. As in, symmetrical, rectangular cuboids as rooms, which were very much man made. We seemed to have stumbled upon something big, like a conspiracy theory coming to life.

There was also the issue of survival, which had a million ways of going about it, but made harder when you had to think about the welfare of your team. Especially one that couldn't be kept within the critically and carefully calibrated confines of a Pokeball. At times like this, my principles waver. It would've made things so much easier, but that was the challenge.

Oxygen, water, food, shelter. The first and last were taken care of. we could cut calories since this was only temporary, and divide our food so that no single individual starved. But water was a problem, even more so given the circumstances. We had a limited amount, and more prone to heat injuries.

I took liberties with this. I had a fire type that could do with little hydration, and also a tiny tiny bug, which by virtue of size didn't need a lot to sustain himself. Noibat could fly and hence search for her own water, and I gave her the liberty of exiting the cavern to replenish herself. The problems (at least on my side) were Skiddo and I, the former being the most likely to drying up.

There was no two ways around it for me - urine recycling would have to do, and I'd have to suck it up. Well, at least there's a story to tell in the future. It was less straightforward with Skiddo.

No golden showers would be viable. The solution I came up for him could be applied to me as well. Dehydration was also due to electrolyte loss, so I mixed our drinks with a condition of sweet and salty berries I had brought. This was no culinary feat, so although it didn't taste inedible, it was far from appetizing. Squeezing the juices then mashing the berries into a pulp into the drink would have to do. The berries were meant for reserve medicine, but they'd have to do for now to supply us with as much water as possible.

Noibat would have to work overtime a little. I had her fan the air, decreasing the heat and also helping to circulate the stale air. It would have to do, and when we got back, I'd have to especially treat her.

I alerted Darwin when he came to, conveying what I had learned as well as the various survival tactics, and encouraged him to develop them further. Then, curled into a ball, I let the fatigue take me as I knocked out for my own three hours of rest.

When I awoke, the sun was setting, make the heat more bearable, slivers of cool air streaming through the cracks. My mouth felt dry, and I had to take a few sips before I could talk properly.

"How's our progress?"

"I couldn't do much while your Pokemon slept with you," he gestured towards a snoring Noibat and Fletchling. "Kind of hard when mobility's restricted. Instead I redressed our wounds, freshened them all up. You were so tired you didn't even stir when I tried to apply cream to your ribs - yeah you missed a spot."

Looking down, I could see a jaundiced patch of skin, a sickly bruise that spread out into tendrils of black that grew into my skin. It felt less painful, but was there - no doubt.

"Also, I let you sleep for 4 hours instead," Darwin smiled. I want to protest but he cut me off. "It's for your own good, Zi Ying. We should set off soon after dinner. After all, we don't have much time to the deadline you set."

Having not much choice, I nodded, unwrapping dinner - our last proper meal - as Darwin continued to update me. "We did make minor headway, but nothing you didn't already discover. I did a once over on the route with Munna - it checks out. But using psychic foresight and listening to the echoes in the cavern, I can confirm our suspicions. We're not alone."

I paused, looking up in midway chew even though this wasn't a surprise. "Munna could feel other people, not in the Fiery Path. And we could hear the rumbling, clunking, even thudding of heavy machinery. Something is going on in here, and I'm not sure I like it."

"Thanks Darwin," I noted after I swallowed my lump of sandwich, and taking a swig of cave-made isotonic drink. I offered him some but he insisted he already had his full. I didn’t want to think of getting sucked into something bigger. All we wanted to do was get out, and that occupied my mind.

Then we freshened up, making sure the Pokemon were okay, before packing up and getting ready to move out. We assumed a formation of two rows, our respective Pokemon huddled around us as we descended. The terrain was even rockier than before, but less dangerous in a sense. It felt unsafe, but somehow it was manageable. In fact, the more we traveled, the more even the ground got, and since we were on the most efficient route instead of side-winding like earlier, it took no more than an hour and a half to get to our destination - a perfectly carved rectangle in a wall straight ahead. The doorway that might be our way out.

By now, the noises were loud enough to make out if you were listening. I could hear the periodic thudding, like a loud hammering into the core of the volcano. There was a bustle, an energetic kind that was muted through the walls but the sound still carried. 

Discretion was always to be advised. We sneaked close, rounding the wall so that we could peek through. I kept low, only half of my head sliding through as I scouted the path ahead. It was clear of any people, but now I could tell that this was some kind of a base, an organization. A steel door with the emblem of an ‘M’ that was styled to look like a volcano lay ahead of us. As we approached it, the sounds beyond grew in volume, and I knew we had hit the mark.

“Gotcha,” I whispered, holding my breath. My hands trembled as I thought of a delicate way to deal with the situation.

Instead, Darwin went full on psychic, believing that there was no way we could go through. Not enough raw firepower, or technical know how to bypass the steel door. If we couldn’t move straight, we’d go around. Tapping into Ralts and Munna, they traced a way to another path that would synchronize us to our objectives.

They found it, but it required a tad bit of digging. That, I could sort of provide. Skiddo had the horns and the reasonable bulk - compared to the rest of us. I could also supply with my hands, and Aron, maybe even Cubone could use their affinity for the earth to displace some of it. We backtracked, taking a circuitous route that extended our travel time by another twenty minutes, to a small indent in the wall. But it seemed to be giving way, a blind spot that would be able to bring us through. The psychics also managed to confirm the absence of people or surveillance on the other side, so that was good.

Getting to work, it was easier than I had thought. Almost anyone could have done it - the psychics even helping to levitate bigger chunks out of the way. Another twenty odd minutes or so, and there was a gap big enough for us all to squeeze through, which was a plus point of having a team of small babies, humans included.

This ‘entrance’ led to a locker room of sorts, or a storage, abandoned. The room was dark, the walls caving natural light out, and what little of it entered immediately highlighted the ocean of dust before us. We couldn't even spot a trail, boxes upon boxes piled on top of each other. In the corner hung uniforms, very prim and proper and crisply ironed, all the same maroon shade, all bearing the same insignia. If there was a corporation secretly mining Chimney’s minerals and getting a monopoly on it… no. I had to focus on the task at hand, not speculating about the bigger picture.

There was a door, and I had Joltik go under to make sure the way was clear. In the meantime, I gave Skiddo some makeshift padding made out of our clothes and towels, knotted around his hooves. His clopping against the mountain floor would be a dead giveaway once we were nearer to others.

And then when all was alright, our positions secure, we were on the other side. Into unknown territory, deeper into the belly of the beast, its ragged teeth waiting to incinerate us before it swallowed us.

I took a deep breath, and got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the raw moments for this chapter was hard but it made me dig deep into both characters' deepest motivations and values. I hope I managed to do it justice! Along with the balance for Zi Ying's methods of survival and escape. Problem solving in the Pokemon universe has always been super interesting with endless combinations and it's always a pleasure to write. More or less of these?
> 
> Also, I think most of you can see the overarching pattern in both arcs. Have fun speculating more!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments always apprecaited .


	4. Jagged Edge 2.4

 

Stealth was the game. All those times playing ‘ninja’ as a kid, watching the padding of my feet, would pay off here.

Unfortunately, there was an entourage of others behind me, who weren’t exactly the embodiment of swift and quiet. Besides, I wasn’t exactly an expert either. I’m not denouncing the effectiveness of children’s play, but they might not always be up to the task.

Having already dealt with the most glaring giveaway, I turned my mind to other problems, primarily finding an escape without being spotted.

“So, what now?” Darwin had the sense to keep his voice as low as possible, and he’s normally softspoken, which was a plus. His keen eyes scanned the place as we crouched, before going prone as we leopard crawled to the edge of the platform we were on. We had come out into a observatory above a large open space, a hangar of sorts. Large titan-like machinery lay dormant in the dozens, neat rows waiting for deployment. The emptiness was eerie, with at least ten respective open pathways at the bottom, presumably for the robots to pilot through. We could still hear the loud clanging noise and the bustle of workers from beyond. The only way out seemed to be further down.

We sneaked down a descending, shallow slope, keeping as close to the wall as possible. Us two humans did some hybrid duck-walk-leopard-crawl-just-keep-low-without-being-too-slow thing, clumsy and silent at the same time. It felt tough to contain my racing heart, adrenaline sharpening my senses, always on guard. We employed guerrilla tactics once we reached the ground floor. Sprinting towards a machine and then taking cover, before moving on to the next as we hid and sought the nearest exits. I sent out Fletchling and Joltik, who had mobility, compatible colour schemes, and small sizes to check out the paths. Darwin had Munna scape them in her mind as well, and when they returned, we settled on one not too far from here.

It snaked off into a narrow corridor, and following maze solving conventions, we stuck to the left wall. We made sure we approached with caution, ensuring the foresight of always being one step ahead. Darwin glanced at the time, before speaking up.

"Ying. It's past 8."

"Mm," I grunted, Joltik once again making sure the left bend was empty.

"Your... promise," he reminded, enunciating it to make sure I understood. I had nearly forgotten - after all, weren't we finding a way out? I didn't understand his point.

Darwin seemed to be able to read me, explaining himself. "You said we'd see Noibat if we didn't have a concrete way out, I repeat verbatim." I almost forgot he had an annoyingly good memory. "While yes, we have an option of a way out which seems rather viable, it isn't exactly concrete."

My face went red. "Um..." was my only response that lingered for a while. Darwin was patient, treading lightly beside me as though tiny life resided beneath his feet and that he could crush them at any moment.

"Well..." I replied, once I had a satisfactory answer in my head. "I get what you mean but, we do have a pretty good chance of getting out like this. And... I need Noibat's echolocation. It's an essential ability here. And even if she got help, what good would that do since we're already so deep in? We should just... we should just continue." I concluded myself, hoping he wouldn't be too harsh on me. I know he wanted security - sure things were his safety net. Yet I felt that this was our best chances of getting home.

Darwin pondered on my statement for a moment. "You aren't wrong, and we do have a time limit, with our limited resources and large party," he rationalized. "Still, it is a big unknown we're walking into, and a risk. All or nothing, huh?"

"You know how I am with risks," I shrugged weakly. "My stand stays that we as a whole don't take enough. 

"If it helps? I don't view this as a violation of our promise. It's just that, I wanted to see what your judgement was. Now that you've made up your mind, focus on the way forward. Bring us home." He smiled at me, and his sincere support made all the difference.

"I will." I appreciated the gesture, now compartmentalizing this away, my attention back on task.

The corridors got thinner, more convoluted, and more than once I had to break my keep-left rule because of how sure I was that we were trapped in a circular loop. Noibat's echolocation didn't paint a pretty picture. It seemed that this part was deserted which was good, but it was also hopelessly messy. Finding a way out of here seemed impossible.

Still I pressed on.

And things went well for quite a bit. We rested, took a quick snack and drink to replenish ourselves before moving on. Darwin and I were sticky with sweat, and I wondered if there was any efficient way of collecting it for recycling but promptly gave up. We didn't make much progress, until Noibat spotted another human in the distance.

Some of the others panicked, making sudden movements and giving off sounds. We would've steered clear of whoever it was, except they detected us, alerted to our presence. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell if this was good or bad. While a human could direct us out of here, things would turn ugly if they were hostile.

We still tried to escape, but even with all the sonic and psychic mapping abilities at our disposal, our adversary knew the place better than us.

Rounding a corner, we sort of bumped into her, as she came from the other end. First contact.

She had golden blond hair, streaks of platinum in them. The red hood  framed her surprised face, stunning irises of electric blue that conveyed how shocked she was. She immediately assumed a defensive position, Pokeball in hand as she assessed the situation.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Passing by?" I shrugged. Raising my hands in a gesture of surrender, I tried at a way out. “Do you by any chance kno-"

She ignored me, cutting me off with those fierce eyes. "You shouldn't be here. This territory is currently inactive, cordoned off. No one stumbles into here."

"Yet, we did! It's the truth, I swear!” I took a step forward, but she threatened to sic her Pokemon on us. I paused, still making sure I seemed as un-dangerous as possible.

The girl continued her line of questioning. "How did you get in here?"

Darwin decided it was his turn to try. "Well you see…"

“Prowler to Guard Comm! Prowler to Guard Comm!” She decided to fall back on procedures, protocols. Finding a way to deal with us, an unprecedented unknowable. “...Ugh, dangit, these walkie talkies never work under here anyway. I preferred the old base back at Mosdeep - Chimney is way too big, and then they assign me this shitty job? Everyone says being a scout is _fine_. Guard duty is _slack_. You’ll never run into any problems. Then what the fuck is this?"

We let her go on her monologue, shouting into the walkie talkie without response. When she gave up, the two of us still stood there, arms raised and smiling awkwardly.

“Soooo,” I started. “Know the way out of here?"

"You'll have to come with me," she continued, completely missing my point. "I'll need to bring you to those higher up the ladder and they can figure out what to do with you two."

I shook my head. “Nuh-uh. You’re not bringing us anywhere but out. We don’t want to be a part of any of this."

“You don’t have a choice,” she wouldn’t budge, firm. “You’re trespassing, so you follow our rules. If you don’t comply, I’ll have to take you by force."

My fists clenched, and I assumed my own offensive position. I could hear Darwin groan and facepalming himself as he knew what was coming next. “Try it,” I dared, and I saw the sparkle of recognition in her eye, as she tossed three Pokeballs into the air.

“Magcargo! Sableye! Gothorita! Come out!"

The battlefield illuminated, the narrow corridor trapping us in. The Magcargo’s radiation was suffocating, as it dripped sludge that would melt through fire itself, exuding lava that was born from Chimney itself. Sableye presented a demonic grin, hunched over and ready to pounce. But what I noticed was the Gothorita, a true hindrance that complicated things further. Her smug complacency was etched into her face, a trump waiting to be taken out. I felt a grip on my very essence, and looked to my feet.

"Shadow Tag, not Arena Trap. Even more problematic,” I grimaced, watching a semblance even fainter than darkness, more abstract than absence latching onto our shadows, tugging it and preventing our leave. “I suppose, this means we can’t escape, huh? Not even our flying types."

“Right,” the girl snapped. “And I’ll drag you with me if need be."

“Before we start, a common courtesy,” I grinned, manic at another wild, stimulating confrontation. “Sophia.” Common sense made it such that I shouldn’t use my real name in this situation.

“Emmelyn,” she poised herself, bracing for my first swath.

Skiddo and Fletchling charged, and Sableye took point. A barrier that glimmered like their sapphire gem locked with Skiddo’s horns, and dissolved the barrage of flaming pellets Fletchling produced. I knew better than to drag this out - attrition was never my strong suit, but my Pokemon were low on stamina. We had the advantage in numbers, but Emmelyn seemed highly trained herself.

My Pokemon knew what was left unsaid - aim for the Gothorita. Emmelyn knew this as well, and knew that I knew. Bringing down what trapped us here would be the prime objective. Gothorita started to retreat herself, a leisure stroll since she knew her comrades had her back. This shifted our perspectives, as Shadow Tag would bring us along, even if we didn’t move. Creepy abilities are creepy. The ground seemed to shift at our feet, as though we were sliding along concrete rock.

“Looks like I can’t hold back either, eh?” Emmelyn brought out her bracelet, and I didn’t even feel like moaning because this was already expected. Except that after Sableye glowed, they still stayed the same. Still the same creepy little gem-shadow-goblin. Emmelyn went scarlet, stomping on the floor in rage.

“You alright, there?” I asked, concerned but also trying not to giggle. She had failed the Mega-Evolution rites.

Emmelyn shot me a murderous look of embarrassment. “I-I’m still not good at this, okay?! Sableye doesn’t always want to listen to me."

“Mega-Evolution forms through bonds,” I laughed, as Noibat sailed above me to target Gothorita. It didn’t work. “Maybe you need to work a little harder? Arrange more picnics with your ghost buddy over here? Cuddle them to sleep?"

Magcargo spewed another fountain of lava, which leaked and seeped out of him. Too dangerous as well, her powerhouse on the field. “Are you kidding me? They’re creepy!"

“There’s your answer,” I taunted, before turning around for backup. “Darwin, a little help over here? Eight against three is always better than four on three."

He seemed unpleased, being the passive pacifist - while I was the active, strive-to-be-pacifist-through-ideals. It wasn't so much of values as it was ability. “I’m not much of a battler, not even on the theory side. I won’t be of much-"

“Just let me assume control of your Pokemon,” I shouted, exasperated.

“Already done,” he threw his hands up. “You didn’t need my permission."

I dodged a hurtling volley of molten rock that shattered behind me. “It’s only polite to ask!"

“Enough of the chit-chat!” Emmelyn roared, wanting to end this fast herself. "Magcargo, Eruption!"

“Wai- wait wait wait wait WAIT! WHAT?!"

Considering that we hadn’t landed a single blow on Magcargo, we were in for some deep shit.

Eruption links itself to a Pokemon's vitality, and oh was Magcargo energetic. Like a volcano biding its time, they boiled, glowed, swelled with heat and smoke and smog, burning and billowing before expelling it all in a violent explosion. Hellfire rained on us that wouldn't have left us unscathed if not for two Pokemon with Telepathy and two psychic types. We erected our own makeshift shield that wasn't holding up well, ever aware that we were still inching towards them.

"Child of Arceus," I swore, horrified and in awe of the apocalyptic scenario before me. It was water before, and in relentless rain that pounded on me, needles that pinned me one step closer towards death. Now I witnessed the ire of the land, the earth, and the molten belly that lay within the beast. The great balancer, leveler of worlds.

Fire, no. Even greater. Lava and magma.

As if that wasn't bad enough, lava flowed out in rippling layers beneath Magcargo, oozing like slugs with a mind of their own, and we were perilously close to them. I had to hold Skiddo back because it was way too dangerous for him now, on the cusp of fatal.

“This is why, I keep saying that we need a water type!" I cried, running out of options fast. 

"I don't think it would help," came Darwin's sardonic reply, his morale whittled down and tired out.

The premise of targeting the trainer wasn't lost on me. I switched to a more verbal offensive.

"Hey Emmelyn! You didn't have to do that. It's downright overkill you know?"

She smiled, her face lit by the inferno she unleashed. I conceded a point, acknowledging her strength. Keep her happy.

"You could've helped us walk away. We had nothing to say because we knew nothing! No hostile elements of any sort. But after that stunt you just pulled, I'm not so sure anymore. However, I could-"

Emmelyn shrugged, cutting me off once again. Damn that girl doesn't listen. "All the more reason to go all out."

Magcargo went for a second round, just as deadly as the first. I shrieked, screamed, the unbearable heat blocked out by the surge of panic. My body was numb but at the same time burning. This was very, very bad.

"Hey! Chill out a bit, would you?" I hollered. "You're going to end up seriously killing us if you go on."

Emmelyn seemed apathetic. "That would be too bad, but it solves my problem anyway."

"Listen to yourself!" I shouted, scalding comets hailing down all around me. "You're speaking of murder so casually!"

She continued attacking, and Darwin seemed to want to pass out any moment now. No doubt acting up a fever, his vision blurry... not good at all. 

"The- the authorities will know that something's up! Our families will notice! They know we're here! They know we came to Chimney and descending along the Jagged Pass! They'll comb the area and they'll find you!" I was frantic, searching for a way to reason with her. 

Emmelyn shook her head. "If they could've, they would've found this place a long time ago."

"Listen! You want to know where we came from right! I'll tell you! No tricks! We strayed from the Pass - and my dad knows that we did - and we fell down a hole covered by a stray tree. The debris would still be there! The hole unpatched! They- they can come through there and find us!"

"And where was this hole? How far away was it from here? Did you travel much? Because you probably did. I already said, this place is hard to find. So, would they be able to track you even if they could deduce which hole you fell down?"

I was at a loss for words. "Er... er."

"My point stands."

Magcargo was pressing us hard on the offensive and I had little to show for it. It was still raining fire, and we were still trapped. I was unprepared, and with no last resort...

I gulped, feeling the lump of my pride swallowed down my gullet. I ordered all my Pokemon to stand down. I raised my hands again.

"Okay, okay fine. I surrender. I give, I give, okay! Take me to whoever." Exhaustion got me, and the barrage ceased, the magma cooling but still scorching hot. She returned Magcargo, but kept an eye on us.

Slapping the Pokeball on her belt, she then approached me before slapping some handcuffs on me, tying my hands behind my back. I wanted to struggle, but it would've been futile. Might as well go along with it for now. She looked at Darwin and considered incapacitating him too, but he already seemed too tired and harmless to be a threat.

Emmelyn then gestured for us to follow, Sableye still staring at us with Gothorita straight ahead. "This would've been so much easier if you just did this from the start."

"Same if you would've taken us out of here," I mumbled. 

I kept in step with her, catching up as I didn't want to feel the surreal experience of being dragged by my shadow any further. The rest lugged close behind, dead beat. Knowing that we didn't have much to lose now, I unzipped my bag and emptied all the rations we had left, save the last bottle of water. I handed them to the ones who needed it the most - Darwin and Skiddo, a bit of Noibat and Cubone - while Emmelyn made sure we kept close. She didn't seem to mind whatever we were doing, staying quiet throughout. I decided to break the ice, make this a little less boring and perhaps get a better picture of her.

“So... what's a kid like you doing here? You’re like, the same age as us."

“I’m eighteen, mind you. I can think for myself." She sounded as though I had accused her, questioned her independence, which I didn't mean to. But I could see how she construed it, a wild inference from my question. It felt like an insecurity I could hark on. But it did somewhat stun me that she was technically a legal adult. When I looked closer, I could see the weary signs of maturity, a girl past one stage of youth into another. I would have to accept that I suppose.

Information was what I lacked. I had to fall back on assumptions. "Well, I didn't say that. So why are you here? If this is a... company, aren't you going to be one of the youngest ones? How did you get in?"

"My father works here, but it was my own decision to join, and I got in based on criteria independent of him. I’m doing fine for myself so far, thank you very much."

Almost too easy. Her stressing of her disconnection from authority was either steeped so deep, or this was a poorly built ruse meant to mislead me. I would assume the former for now. "That's nice. So what do you all do? I mean, it's a big... place, nice facilities, though not the most hospitable environment. And aren't you lot tight on security." I tugged against my handcuffs, even turning around to show them to Emmelyn. She didn't turn around to acknowledge. "My first guess was... some sort of a mining organization perhaps? Private? I don't want to get involved in corporate things, but I'm pretty sure that establishing a monopoly on a public monument is... unwise?"

The question hung, as I let it, and after some time, Emmelyn responded. "As you've said, the less you know, the better. But sure, you can come up with whatever theories you want. Hmph, mining conglomerate... that's interesting."

Whether she knew it or not, the way she mused about that cancelled out the possibility of my hypothesis being true. Given her attitude in taking us in, made me have a feeling that this was far sinister than I had imagined. Perhaps, I rolled the wrong dice. My gamble would come out really, really bad.

There were always things you didn't want to know.

My mind raced. Had to get out, fast. Every second that passed left me with an unsettled heart, a fluttering bird in a cage wanting to escape, thrashing against the bars. I swallowed again, but this time it was fear, that I hoped wouldn't fester into an even greater one, a venomous flower blooming in my stomach.

I signed to Skiddo behind my back. All my partners of at least the past six months had learned non-verbal communication with me, should the need ever arise. It sure did now.

Then, as calm as I could be, took a soundless, deep breath, gathering courage, and proceeded. "Hey, Emmelyn? You sure you're not here in this... prestigious enterprise because of... others?"

She ignored me, as usual. I was going to have to be a little less subtle.

"Daddy's little girl? Maybe even if you didn't want to, he'd always give you the opportunity. Is it possible that he has convinced you to not want his help, so that he can seem more humble?" I kept going on, while Emmelyn still stared straight ahead. She was oblivious to the glowing plasma orb developing in Skiddo's mouth. The green effervescence crackling with energy, its grassy, herbal scent impeded by Munna's interference. It expanded, nature condensed and Skiddo aimed it, waiting for the cue.

I goaded her further, just a little more. "Perhaps, you've always wanted his help but loathe it that you do, that-"

Emmelyn spun in retaliation, fury in her eyes, and in that moment, Skiddo fired, the Energy Ball hurtling past her, taking her completely by surprise. She froze, which was a good reaction that I wanted. She needed time to process what just happened, and so did her Pokemon. By the time she spun back to check, the orb had already hit its target - Gothorita.

Sableye was gearing up, and Emmelyn had no time to bring Magcargo back on the field. But that was just a distraction. Sableye fired up what I presumed was a Light Screen, but it wouldn't hamper me today.

Straight above, flushed to the ceiling was Noibat, carrying Aron in her claws, ready to nosedive and bomb straight into Gothorita, a second successive attack that launched mere seconds after the first. Again, the duo was oblivious. Aron came down with a hard smash, contacting with Gothorita's back as Noibat swerved back, and Fletchling who had been close behind, scooped Aron back to safety. Gothorita stumbled, but did not crumble. Still not enough.

By now, most of my Pokemon were to the rear - where I wanted to position them, and the ideal spot for the psychics, who with their collective power managed to wrest the otherworldly forces from Gothorita, displacing her towards us. Ralts was there in harm's way, Sableye poised for a direct attack, but at the very last moment, Ralts switched places with Gothorita, before teleporting back to my side.

Gothorita had been passive throughout, and didn't take lightly to our sudden onslaught. But she didn't - couldn't - react, not with the last trick we pulled. The sass knocked out of her as Sableye struck her dead in the chest, claws coming down in a single slash that tore her dress and raked her flesh. Gothorita toppled over, the move super effective, knocking her out. Third time's the charm.

She released her grip on our shadows. We were free.

I didn't wait a second, didn't have to shout go as we turned back, scrambling and breaking into a sprint. I heard the shouts, felt the temperature drop the same moment I heard the glow, knowing that Sableye would now be hiding behind a giant sapphire harder than diamond, eyes bluer than lapis. Their sickly, jaundiced teeth that looked like plague had nested and rotted in there grinning manic, but I didn't care. I didn't look back, only wanting to get away, the kind of run from something and not to.

 

The chase was afoot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new challenger appears! Round 1!  
> The stakes are raised even higher. Our duo's situation becomes more grave by the minute. It's gonna take something for them to leave unscathed.
> 
> Thanks for reading and comments are always appreciated.


	5. Jagged Edge 2.5

"Backup! I repeat, I need backup!"

I could hear Emmelyn shouting into her failing comms, as we bolted, and I dragged Darwin along. She had said that this general area was deserted, storage or something. We wouldn't be disturbed much, but we had to do something. If there were supplies, we could nab them, use it to tide out our time. Even if we didn't, supplies would be good.

Skiddo took the charge, dashing down the corridor, as we all struggled to keep up. Darwin was wheezing, too tired to talk or think, having stayed quiet throughout the earlier confrontation. I wasn't much better too, because running with your hands tied behind your back is super awkward. Would have to get rid of that eventually, but it wasn't a priority.

I heard a faint thud as we rounded the corner, followed by a string of swears. That would've been Emmelyn tripping, courtesy of Joltik. The oldest trick in the book of delaying, and it works every single time. That would buy me precious seconds, depending if Emmelyn decided to throw a mini-tantrum at her seeming incompetence.

We managed to distance ourselves, gaining a good lead. I had Fletchling, Noibat and Joltik detour, setting off fake telltales in different paths. Joltik perhaps putting up a few more tripwires just in case. Making Emmelyn fall more than once would no doubt put a psychological dent in her, and I needed every possible opening of one-upmanship in this race. In the end, the trio found their way back. Ever reliable.

Then it was time to hide. I chanced upon the first room that came up. We could no longer hear Emmelyn's echoes. For now at least, we were safe.

Stumbling inside the empty room, I found that it was yet another storage facility. After I settled the rabble down, I went about digging for anything we could use. 

But before I could even use my hands I had to free them. Fletchling made a dismal attempt to melt them off. It was hard, considering it would scald me as well. In the end, we only managed to break the chain linking the two cuffs. I would have to deal with having them. I made a mental note to cover them with my sleeves, before getting down to business.

Food was pretty high on the priority list, but nothing around here. A lot of it was useless to us, expired documents and bouts of administrative material. At the end of my scour, I managed to pull together a sling bag - the kind a courier uses - and a few containers of various sizes that might hold water. We had discarded one of our bags back there, to lose weight. I spied more folded uniforms in plastic, never touched or unwrapped, but I'd get to them later.

Now I had to tend to the exhausted. Darwin looked worse for wear, sweating and mumbling incoherent words, his face all scrunched up. The intensity of our previous confrontation was too much. He was never a fighter type, not a warrior on the battlefield. Neither was I, but I endured. I improvised. That form of resilience was part innate and part attained. Darwin had neither.

Skiddo looked fresh after the last bout of water, but that wouldn't last long. None of us would.

A good meal of any sort would do us a world of good, if it was edible. I glanced to my watch, and it was nearing the wee hours of the morning. No wonder everyone was so bummed out. But the longer we stayed, the more things would go south.

I made up my mind. While the others rested, I'd take a small team and go out on a reconnaissance mission for supplies and intelligence.  Given the luxury of a long nap earlier, my batteries were far from spent. I could still go further.

My current banged up clothing wouldn't do, if I were to step into a populated area, which was my intention. I turned towards the shelves of uniforms, rummaging around for something around my size. There was little room or time for modesty, so I stripped down immediately. Anyway, it was getting super hot, and Darwin was too shy or conscious to bother taking peeks.

I found something, but then it was a male uniform. Too jarring as a disguise, and I was too small to be a guy. Why'd they even make these if no one would wear them? After a bit of dancing around in my underwear, littering the floor with plastic wrappers and unfolded uniforms, I found a set that was only a tad larger than me. There might be something that fit, but the uniforms were far from snug anyway, and there was little time. They were restrictive, almost body hugging in a way that felt vaguely uncomfortable. They were also strangely formal, as I saw from Emmelyn. Such attire belonged nowhere near a volcano, whether working the bellows or even piloting a machine. Clean fatigue would've been a much better fit. Heck, it felt stuffy enough that even a desk job wouldn't have fit it. It was like the person who designed this had some creepy obsession with formalities.

There was even a pair of net stockings available, and I sucked it up to complete my transformation. 

I was about to leave, when I heard audible murmuring in the corner - Darwin had stirred awake once again. He looked terrible, shivering and teeth chattering. As I approached to calm him down, his eyes widened in alarm. He didn't recognize me, which was good, but also bad. He was seizing up, vibrating with an uncontrolled ferocity.

"Darwin! Darwin, it's me. Zi Ying. It's still me." I put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to calm down, a look of familiarity in his eyes. But his body still acted up. He was hyperventilating, his situation getting dangerous.

"Z-z-zi... Yi-ing? Moo...m-muh..." He didn't manage to get that far.

Normally, Munna would be there for him, to calm him down. This was like many things, good and bad. The former due to being able to ease Darwin up, the latter because he wasn't doing it of his own accord. Darwin still remains notoriously unhinged, unable to control his emotions well. It would be good to give him practice once in awhile without always relying on his Pokemon. But now, Munna was down for the count, exhausted from the burns and keeping up to protect us from Magcargo. If there was any time to start, it would have to be now.

I knew I had to handle this delicately. The power was in Darwin's hands, not mine. Plus I'm rubbish at this. All I could do was support him, hopefully guide him. "Stay with me, Darwin. I need you to slow down, alright? I know you can do it. Just remember whatever techniques you've tried before."

He attempted to grit his teeth harder, but it only made it worse, contracting all his muscles further. I attempted to soothe him by kneading his shoulders, but if it had any effect it didn't show. Darwin was getting messed up, but I could tell he was trying hard. I wasn't sure if putting that much effort was constructive or not.

But soon, I saw a semblance of a pattern. Darwin's breathing became periodic, but shaky. He did his best to breathe in through his nose without choking on air, and then letting out a long whoosh of air through his mouth. The key was to breathe out twice as long as you breathe in. It was a breathing technique his father had taught him, something I've seen him use only once before, just days after we met. It was a stellar effort, and I could see his minute spasms decreasing into a lull, his tense body retreating into slumber.

He did it. That took an amazing amount of effort and courage, overcoming his anxiety on his own.

There were times before, when he was pushed to his limit. He had failed before, almost completely breaking down and required immediate intervention from Munna. This I had known. His parents had told me. But today was a triumph in a string of long battles. It was a little victory in a situation with little hope. 

It was a start. 

As he nodded off to sleep once again, I watched him and the others, getting some good rest. The fever was no doubt still there, but he had managed to alleviate some of its effects. Good on that boy. I wouldn't have to worry when I set off. Which I had to do right now.

Then putting my hood up - which was convenient - and slinging on my bag, I gave one last glance at the remaining party to make sure they were okay. Then I headed out.

And into a world of big bad wolves because the only stastitical representative of this organization I've had so far so Emmelyn. So I can only draw that they are 100% murderous.

Enough cause to be wary.

Her Sableye was also cause to worry. I had thought that it was of the more common sapphire cut, but on closer inspection it might've been a rare blue diamond. The crystalline patterns, clarity of colour and the sturdier defense all pointed to the same conclusion. Of course there were even more obscure and exotic variants - gold, bizmuth, Arceus forbid obsidian. But I couldn't dwell on that. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I'd take only Noibat and Joltik, because they were all I needed. Small and compact.

We trudged through more corridors, winding passages, Noibat listening out for human activity and guiding me towards it. We walked until we came to a set of steel doors, like the first we encountered. There was no going around it.

There wasn't, but as luck would have it, mere moments later, there was a whirring sound followed by a click. The red lights turned into a universal, affirmative green. The door parted and a pair emerged, chatting and swinging their keys. I spotted the passes, hanging from the hips and remembered Emmelyn having something like that as well. I made a mental note to swipe one as soon as possible.

On the other side, I could already hear the ruckus. I kept my head down, wanting to be unnoticed, pretending I was occupied with something. People erupted around me, a bustling crowd of 'co-workers' in similar uniform, with slight liberties for modifications. Already back into the fray I'd escape from mere minutes ago. My reckless streak was never more plain.

It was sweltering with the hood on, but I didn't have a choice. Noibat took to the ceiling as soon as we entered, silent and pretending to be wild, but always tracing my steps. 

The air was buzzing with conversations, of which I filtered out tidbits of technicalities and chunks of personal chit-chat. It made sense that people wouldn't just talk about their organization out loud, unlike in movies. It wasn't due to paranoia about a spy or anything, it just wasn't talked about. You don't expect to waltz into a company and have the employees reciting the name, motto, objectives, vision, about the company over the top of their head. Everyone already knew, and those that didn't didn't belong. You had to infer from the hubbub that ensued. Eavesdropping was such a wonderful skill that took a vivid imagination and logical reasoning to piece together phrases. Like 'Skitty', 'hard on action' and 'water giant' into a plausible, cohesive narrative that wasn't about 'Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action'.

But first, food. That was all interesting, but my partners back wherever had a grumbling stomach. The most rational choice would be to get my priorities straight.

Glancing around, I made a beeline for the kindest looking people in the crowd. I found myself converging on a circle of two men and a woman.

I cleared my throat, before using my best mature voice to speak up. "Hey, I'm kinda new around here and wanna grab a bite. Is there a mess or something you could direct me to?" It came out all gravelly and low, which was kinda okay I guess. Needed more work.

The clique paused their conversation before eyeing me. The most vocal one - I presumed, an Indian man with a clean shaved stubble - spoke up, raising his eyebrow. "Aren't you looking a tad bit too young to be around these parts?"

"Late bloomer," I shrugged. "I'm of legal age."

"Legal age for what?" The woman asked. She was attractive, more on the curvier, plump side. She had gorgeous brown eyes and wore a thick stream of hazel that would've been the envy of any brunette.

I decided to be a bit more confident, a bit more adult. Pulling down my hood so I could seem less suspicious, I delivered my line. "Legal enough to do all the things I'd want to do to you, beautiful." I added my own tone of sultry in it, dragging and slurring my words a little. Zero experience with alcohol to know how it worked. It was a little overboard, but hey I kinda meant it. I was also horrible at flirting, so sue me.

The last of the trio burst out laughing, a lanky blonde with short, thinning hair and eyes the shifting colour of the sea. When he spoke, his accent had a strong hint of German. "This! This lass I like!"

Mr. Indian rose his eyebrows further, as though there were multiple stages of perplexity his eyebrows could ascend to. Just two more levels into unibrow heaven. "You sure you belong in Magma? How did you even get in here? I'm not sure the leader would approve..."

"I'm sure someone as feisty as her has the zeal of fire and the burning passion of flame." My 'crush' spoke up, blushing. She addressed me now. "It was awfully nice of you, but I'm sorry. I don't swing that way."

There wasn't much room for expectation or regret, but at least I had lightened the mood. I gave a little bow that meant 'it was worth a shot', before answering the question myself. "Verve, spunk, and actively pretending that I'm all the things the leader likes, though I'm the exact opposite." I was starting to have a good picture of who this leader was. "So how did you get in here?" I asked back, and that was a loaded question on many subtle levels.

A quick scan of the room would show you two telling demographic features of this organization. First, there was an excruciating amount of whiteness, and of the Eurocentric kind that came with coloured hair and blue eyes. My dark skinned acquaintance over here was an outlier.

Second, men predominated. And I mean at disproportionate amounts, far off any reasonable gender balance or even imbalance. The ladies that did work here, all seemed to possess two qualities. They were young, and they were attractive. They all seemed like the types that would pass off at a counter for PR purposes, pleasant for the public (but more for the male) gaze. Even though they were six feet under Hoenn's largest and only furnace. Even my lady acquiantance here was more of the Rubenesque kind, and could pass off as a different type of beauty. She wasn't obese, not like Contessa.

These two startling observations told me a lot about the leadership in here. A lot of it pointed to a conservative embodiment of the patriarchy. The insidious, scholarly type which deluded itself with inferiority and oppression compared to society's 'jocks' but took a perverse pride in being intellectual gentlemen. The type who liked their fine wine and women. It turned my stomach thinking about it.

The man looked taken aback, but he knew exactly what I was talking about. All the inferences I had drawn were too obvious, and everyone here knew it.

"I... Well, I had connections. My brother is a major shareholder for one of the main suppliers, and also a buddy of Tabitha. I am competent and more or less fit into their... wholesome picture, so after a few pulled strings, here I am."

Tabitha. I had a name. That was something to keep in mind.

He looked grave as I nodded, with empathy and understanding different from what he was thinking. I was obviously Chinese, so he must've thought I was in a similar situation. How wrong he was.

But I didn't have time for any more digressions. "It was a nice chat, anyhow, but we've gotta eat." I pointed to my stomach which I willed to make grumble. I failed, but only succeeding in making myself think I was hungry. Damn.

"Follow the left path," the helpful lady gave me directions. "Go straight until there's a junction and then turn right. You'll reach there in no time."

Putting my hood back on, I waved my thanks as I walked off. But before I was out of earshot, I turned back, hollering to satisfy my last ounce of curiosity.

"Did the leader come up with the design for the uniform?"

"His pride and joy," the German shouted after me with a smug smile. That was the final nail in the coffin. Leader Tabitha was officially a control freak.

I made my way to the mess, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. While the previous area was like a Mecca, the population dwindled as I approached the mess. It was understandable, given how early in the morning it was. It was already quite remarkable how many people were up and working at such hours in the first place. But there isn't much sense of time in a volcano if you don't have a watch.

On the way I managed to snag a pass from a passing employee. I didn't give it a second look as I scanned it, granting me access to the mess. Noibat would've been proud of my frisking skills, and she nudged me, joining me back as we entered.

My first impression of it was that it was like a tavern. The ceiling was low, and there was a bar like counter with stools lit by an atmospheric, ambient glow that came from carefully placed Litwicks and Slugmas, snoozing off in hibernation. The purple and orange rays made it seem like a perpetual sunset, and there was a bored looking young adult behind the counter. He wore the standard uniform, but had a shaggy, unkempt beard. As I walked forward, I saw his name tag. Vidal.

"Hey, what's up?" I took a seat, leaning against the counter to rest.

Vidal gave me a once over, before making a tired sigh. "So, what's your poison?"

I wanted to reply with my standard 'Yache Berry Juice', but that'd arouse suspicion. I wasn't a minor, right? I've never drunk before, but there was always a time to start...

...nah. Not today I guess. I could be much more productive sober. I asked for a glass of water while the apathetic 'bartender' tended to me. Then, I took out all my containers to hold water and gestured for him to fill them up. He didn't even blink twice as he complied.

"As you can tell it's three in the morning and I'm stuck here on duty. I'd appreciate any stupid conversation, or you can scoot off once you're done. Either way is fine by me."

Poor man. If he didn't look so unhygienic I might’ve taken pity at his forlorn state. On second thought, the fact that he hadn’t had a good warm shower or sleep was a strong indicator of chronic depression. Perhaps Darwin’s Munna might be able to help… but she wasn’t here. I wanted to help, but there was only so much I could do. A conversation - which was what I needed as well - would serve us both well.

“So. Heard of an Emmelyn?” It was good to know thine enemy, especially if said enemy was still prowling around here waiting to kill me.

Vidal gave me a weary glance. "You mean Mason?"

I did not expect that. I fluttered for a few moments, nervously flapping my hands trying to think of a response. Vidal sighed, before continuing, still in the midst of wiping a wineglass. "Well there’s only one Emmelyn down here, so yeah it’s her.” I relaxed, thinking I might’ve blown my cover for a moment. Even if I did, I didn’t think Vidal seemed to care for now.

“Emmelyn Mason, new around these parts. She came in a few months after me. More of the… security type. I don’t know what she does, but you wanted her background? Daughter of Magnus Mason. That one, I know a lot more about."

Straddling my chair, I leaned forward, curious about this father of hers. “Magnus? That name rings a bell,” I lied. “But I’m super super new here, so could you enlighten me further."

“You’ve heard the rumours right? Politics and power struggle play a huge role in this particular saga."

I drew a blank face like an idiot. I decided to push my luck. “Say, could you give me a refresher about how things here work? Like the ranks and all.” Vidal cast a face that groaned without a sound. I flashed him my best guilty newbie smile.

But he seemed so inebriated, fatigued and just couldn’t give a damn at three in the morning. Any excuse to run his mouth of would be appreciated, just to keep him awake. Vidal began his ‘recap'. "There are three tiers of access before you're admitted into the innermost circle. Tier 1 are temporary contractors, restricted in moving around and on a strict have-to-know basis. They have minimal interaction with us. Most of us," he gestured to himself and I "are Tier 2. Permanent staff. A squadron member. We have more freedom, although even at this tier there are varying levels. The lowest are treated almost like Tier 1, and the highest are guaranteed a move up into Tier 3, only just a matter of time.” I nodded as though I had been told all this before.

"The last tier is reserved for the most loyal of us, trusted with the organization's secrets and have a huge amount of say in its decisions. There are only around 20 in Tier 3. And then there are the Admins."

Admins seemed important, so I made sure to perk up, as Vidal’s drone was very much sleep inducing, especially with his contagious attitude. "Once upon a time, Magnus was an Admin himself. But he fell out of favour with the leader due to a major slip up of which there are only rumors about. He has since been demoted to Tier 3, but make no mistake that it is a dishonor of the highest kind. That happened only weeks ago. Huge news. No one I know of has ever been knocked out of the Admin rank."

“What’s he like?” I wondered out loud, trying to paint a picture of the daughter from the father. The berry doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Vidal seemed to cringe inward. “Magnus… there’s a reason he got the Admin post in the first place. He’s like our leader in many ways. Calm, sophisticated, collected. Ruthlessly pragmatic. I don’t like him much." 

He continued. "There are two types of people here. Those that need to," Vidal gestured to himself. "And those that want to. I don't need to say what category he falls into."

Some sort of bad feeling stirred in my gut, and it wasn’t a lack of food. Anyone like the leader spelled bad news with a capital B. “How about his daughter?"

“I’ve only crossed paths with Emmelyn twice. She seems deeply troubled, but aren't we all? Anyway if you're trying to imply if she has daddy issues, you're not wrong. In fact you're spot on. Anyone with two eyes and a brain can see that, as much as she doesn't want to admit it. She depends on Magnus way more than she wants to, and she knows it."

My brow furrowed deeper, the edges of my eyes creasing. "But she denies it?"

Vidal put down the glass before picking up another, working slower than a Slowpoke. "Of course. It's her way of reasserting her will onto reality."

I didn't like this one bit. Judging from her enormous failure at letting me slip, I could guess exactly where she had fallen back to. Now it was whether I wanted to have anything to do with it.

"So, where's the way out of here?" I took my chances. "Chimney isn't that small and they brought me in in... er... blindfold?"

I realized with my hands on the table, the bulge of the handcuffs were visible. Vidal either didn't see them or ignored them. I slowly brought them to my sides, under the table, as discrete as possible. "They also may or may not have handcuffed me. Hey, security right?" I did my best to make it seem like a joke. Vidal remained as apathetic as ever, which was golden.

"The main lift is in the center. You'll need both your emblem and your pass to get out, obviously. The Great Lift only moves up every hour, much like a train station.”

"And where is... Magnus' quarters? Or chambers? Or office or whatever. The place where he usually does his things!" More chances. If it was on the way, maybe some snooping was in order...

Vidal gave the biggest sigh yet, almost a heave. "You're really not from around here huh?"

I shrugged. "Have a horrible sense of direction." Nothing was further from the truth.

"Where’s your map? I’ll highlight it for you." He produced a marker from his breast pocket. Knowing I didn't have one, I gave a great show if patting myself down to pretend that I lost it. I shrugged again, a thing that was becoming common in this exchange.

Vidal frowned. "You need to be more careful. Even the most minor of infractions can get you into deep trouble around here."

He grabbed a spare, circling the area that would be Magnus’ operating area. I noticed that it was pretty close to the Great Lift. The only known ticket out. Might as well stop by while I scouted the area. But I did come here for something other than information.

“Thanks,” I grinned, as I hopped off the chair. “Also, do you have any food of some sort? Rations packaged and ready to take away. I have a colleague… who’s been up all day and night on duty and… skipped his meals! He’s hungry."

Three bags of fresh, sealed food plopped on the countertop, variants of berry stew of some sort. I gave my best abashed smile, making sure to show just a bit more of teeth. “Oh, he’s a big eater, my colleague. Perhaps, three more?” Vidal looked perplexed, but complied anyway.

“With that much… that’ll be chargeable to your account. It exceeds the daily limit. Can I have your pass, please?” He drummed away at the countertop, sliding over a monitor, ready to key in my details.

I handed over ‘my’ pass face down, trying not to whistle and hoping Vidal was inebriated enough on sleep deprivation to ignore any discrepancies in facial structure the pass might have. Miraculously, he typed in everything, before handing it back to me, and I was all set to check out. I stuffed the airtight bags into my own sling pouch, before waving my thanks to Vidal. I owed him that much, granting us food and water.

As I exited the Messy Tavern - as I would like to christen it, despite it being neat - I scanned my map, ready to head in the direction of freedom. Smuggling Darwin and the rest was another problem, but that’s for another time.

 

Hood up, I walked off again, sneaky Noibat just behind me.

 

Just a little more, and we’ll be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No April Fools' this time!  
> Worldbuilding worldbuilding yeh. I'm sorry if it's been a slow arc, but things are coming around!  
> Thanks for reading and comments are always appreciated.


	6. Jagged Edge 2.6

The Great Lift was exactly as advertised - **great** , with that exact shade of bold. Chimney’s thermal energy alone powered it, but then again most things here were. It’s too convenient a power source to pass up.  
  
It was a spectacle, imagining the way the gargantuan, grinding gears shifted. Yet a quick glance at my watch told me it was half past three. No where near the next revolution, the next trip. If I hurried, perhaps Darwin and I would be able to make the five o’ clock journey. We'd escape at the break of dawn.  
  
Head low, I hurried along. I would do a quick check on Magnus and likely his daughter, before doing an about turn and rushing back to my famished allies.

I scaled the spiral staircases, intermittently checking my map. Magnus' office/base was not difficult to find. I suppose there were still lingering privileges to being an ex-Admin. I noticed that the room took up two blocks, much more spacious than the average. Noibat excused herself to wait outside, knowing the flapping of her wings would be an instant giveaway. On my tiptoes, I crept in.

Sneaking always came as second nature to me. On more than one occasion I found myself having to get past the adults and out of the house. Or into a room to pilfer for something that belonged to me or discreetly borrow an item I needed. Not getting caught was something I did pretty well, and I had a certain pride in my abilities.

The room seemed to split into two halves, with another pseudo-doorway linking the two. There was a wall that bifurcated it, leading from what seemed like Magnus' professional space into personal space, which retreated further in. A plethora of objects greeted me, many for me to hide my tiny frame in. This would be easy.

I could hear a ruckus could from beyond the dividing wall. I recognized the first voice - Emmelyn. There were two other distinct males, which confirmed the presence of a third party. A colleague or aide. I skirted the wall, moving to the edge but not peeking. An auditory glimpse of the conversation would suffice for now.

"...an accident, Father!"

I heard a cough and then a clearing of the throat, but it didn't seem to come from Magnus. A feminine sigh followed, then Emmelyn's guilty voice. "My apologies, sir."

Not letting personal relationships cloud professional judgement? A pragmatic, wise, yet cruel decision. He didn't even have to do the reminding.

"Magnus, I leave the evaluation up to you. As today's Guard Commander, I have to submit my own report to Admin Courtney. But due to your reputation, I believe that whatever actions that need to be taken can be considered done in good faith."

I wondered if the comment about reputation was meant to be sarcastic, but the delivery was so steadfast and unflinching, it had to be sincere. It seems like there are still some who have a deep amount of respect, if not pledging unwavering loyalty towards Magnus.

Then came the smooth, silky voice of a polished, educated man. "Of course, Rith. Thank you for your understanding." I didn't recognize the name. Probably Southeast Asian; Cambodian, Vietnamese or Burmese. I imagined Rith's skin to be a deep copper, unlike the pale complexions of the Mason household. Another outlier.

Magnus' tone creeped me. I could already picture him, all business-like, with a pair of half-rimmed glasses, slick hair gelled back, his cuffs neat and tidy. And I could imagine his fidgeting daughter, embarrassed, angry and conflicted all at once. Despite the fact she had wanted to kill me, I still felt a pang of sympathy for Emmelyn.

"I-I can still rectify this!" Emmelyn offered, stammering. "It's still my duty, and I can set off right away during my next shift. I won't let you both down."

The room went quiet, so still that I had to hold my breathing to prevent detection. After a staggering amount of time, Magnus spoke again. "Your initiative is laudable. However..."

"Second chances don't come easy, I know." Emmelyn seemed firm on her decision. That didn't bode well for one of us. I felt the shift, Magnus turning to consult with Rith, them sharing a glance. Rith must've given the green because Magnus seemed oddly magnanimous regarding his decision.

"Excellent. It heartens me to know that my daughter is willing to step up and take responsibility."

There was a creak, Magnus getting up from his chair. I felt the flinch, heard the palpitations from Emmelyn as she silently hyperventilated. Something made her uncomfortable, and it was substantial enough that even Joltik could pick it up. He quivered on my neck, holding in nervous bouts of electricity. Whatever Magnus did, nothing good could come of it. I clenched my fists, my senses becoming hyper aware before I managed to calm myself. Silent breathing exercises that I should be doing more often.

Silence lingered, heavy and thick until there was a short rustle, followed by a gasp. I could hear Emmelyn's protests but also Magnus' insistence.

"It's..! I cannot... This is too much... can't accept..!"

Magnus trawled, his tone almost condescending. I could almost pick up on his microagressions, like telling his daughter how silly she was for being so agitated by the virtue of how composed he was. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

Emmelyn was still stuttering. "It... it is! But-!"

"Now my dear. Father only wants what's best for you." Now breaking his own rules to establish personal, parental contact as a form of emotional bribery. Disgusting. "Go, and do not fail me. Do not say that I've not equipped you well enough."

It seemed to dawn on Emmelyn, what this entailed. She was no fool as well. "Y-yes. Magnus."

"Good," he purred, seeming to uncoil from her, resting into his chair once more. "I can't afford another slip up."

If Emmelyn could stiffen further, she did. Her father purposefully mentioning his own fall could not bode well. How intent was he on manipulating his daughter, and so openly at that? This was a dynamic I could never understand, and hope never to.

"I understand." Emmelyn hardened herself, bracing for the task ahead. There was a slight shift and she must've stood a little straighter, now more formal, impersonal. "Is there anything else?"

Magnus seemed to give a lazy flick as he dismissed her, and she took her leave. I anticipated her departure before I heard the footsteps, so I managed to squeeze myself behind a large vase. It helped that the Magma uniform blended in with the walls, providing impeccable camouflage. Emmelyn looked flustered herself, head hanging as she made a beeline for the exit. Another point for me.

One minute. That was the time I'd wait before crawling out and going scram. But the two men's conversation interrupted my thoughts, and I stayed for more. A touch unwise, but when was risky ever a problem for me?

"You didn't have to do that, Magnus." Rith seemed disapproving, yet still maintaining a respectful distance. "I know you dislike talking about it..."

Magnus sighed, cracking his knuckles before leaning back into his chair. "She needs to know the severity and importance of her actions. This is the only way to get the message across."

"I suppose..." Rith said. On all fours, I tried to peek into the room, just around the wall. I was close to the floor, and only gave away a small sliver of my face. 

"A real pity though, that things had to end up this way. Given a few more years, and the reins might've passed on to me. But now..."

"You can't say that, sir. You did what you could." It seems that men being emotionally honest and comforting with each other was nothing short of brutally awkward. I did my best to suppress my groan.

I spotted Magnus' finger tapping the table. "But the facts remain. Nothing. The leader had placed his utmost trust in me, giving me full command of so many to achieve my ends. We expanded so many resources on a wild hunt spanning across three full regions, and for what?"

His tone darkened, went all deadly quiet, the kind of hush that precedes a predator striking his prey. At the moment, I went completely still as Magnus' venom frightened even me. I didn't feel safe. "All that and just an ornamental knife to show for it. Can't even cut berries."

The mentioning of the artifact had a certain gravity to it, and I found myself instantly drawn to it. My head turned in just the right direction to face it, in a glass container perched on a cabinet against the wall. Even from that distance it had a strange allure to it, the design exquisite, exotic. My fingers twitched, almost itching to hold the blade, and I have zero experience with knives. That was the effect it had on me, and I knew that despite whatever Magnus had said, it was something special. Perhaps just something he hadn't known.

I found my heart racing and retreated to my hiding spot as calmly as possible, which was hard considering I was trembling with adrenaline. My eyes were still glued to the knife, as though fixed in position while every other part of me moved. Like it was calling to me. I wanted it so bad.

Wanted to grip the handle, feel it beneath my knuckles, hold-

No no no. I summoned all my willpower to break me out of my trance. It felt like a heavy load had lifted, yet it almost immediately returned in a different form. As though now the knife was watching me, and that there were large hands suffocating me, wringing my neck...

Ugh, not again. The hallucinatory illusions made it hard to concentrate on the exchange between Magnus and Rith. 

"...me oversee this."

"Of course," Magnus agreed, and seemed to dismiss Rith. I gathered all the concentration I could, and crouched, curled as much as possible behind my cover as Rith took his exit, being as still as I could. Once I was confident I was out of harm's way, I let myself relax, incrementally loosening my muscles. No Rith, and I heard the sound of liquid pouring into a glass. Magnus must've been taking out the finery.

I should get out of here. That was the first, instantaneous thought that came to mind. But it was heavily shrouded in a thick fog of a competing thought - no, an instinct - that lurked in my subconscious, just dwelling. It was the clearest cloud that willed me to take the knife. To just take it.

So against every rational thought, my body primed itself for the 'heist'. My ears perked up, listening for any signs of Magnus approaching; my feet went into a slumber, my gait like traversing a floor of ice; my every cell working in unison towards a single goal, to remove the knife.

The whole thing must've taken half a minute max, but it felt like an eternity. My senses all hyper aware, working into overdrive and dumping huge amounts of information that strained my brain. When I lifted the glass casing, a thundering migraine seized me for a split second, followed by an eerie clarity of calmness, as I removed the knife from its perch. It felt lightweight and natural, fitting neatly into my palm. I kept a firm grip as I replaced the casing, before my heart and mind screamed at me to flee, to run.

And that I did, without needing a second reminder. I was out the door in a flash, keeping my head low as I walked at a suspiciously brisk pace. Skirting a corner, I almost bumped into someone. Without looking, I muttered some excuse about leaving some report on Magnus' desk. Without leaving time for further questioning, I scooted off.

Noibat rejoined our small party, taking point and bringing us back to where we started. The knife rapped against my thigh, one moment ethereal and non-present, another feeling very much physical and earthy, the weight a known factor. Almost ghostly, but I paid it no heed.

On the way back, I started to formulate a plan in my head. Darwin could play dress up as well when he was up to it, maybe even if he wasn't. All the more we could take the casualty angle, seeking urgent medical redress... no. They might have skilled doctors within the facility, of course they would. And any reason to prolong this further... nope. But either way we'd sneak onto the next great haul on the Great Lift, follow the crowd to the nearest exit, and make our way from there. If luck would have it, we'd be close to Lavaridge, or at least the peak of Chimney. If not, the phone was always an option. Staraptor could come for an emergency evacuation in a blink. I know Pa could do that much. Seemed like a good course of action, with ample contingency plans. Having traveled the route, we roughly knew which direction to go. We'd do our best to not bump into Emmelyn, and considering that they're trying to keep it hush-hush, all the better for us. But first, a good, shared meal would help us.

Darwin was already up when I got to him, looking lethargic but well enough. He gave me a little wave, as I got out our ration packs, and passed them around for all the famished to consume. Then came the water, which we chugged down to satiate ourselves.

"I've got a way out," I said, hoping the good news would lift Darwin's spirits. He , too busy chowing down on his food. It had a mushy texture, overtly bland and unsatisfying. But it hardly mattered. We were going home. I explained the details as we dined and he took the plan in, nodding to assure me that he understood.

Finishing first, I went to pick out a disguise for Darwin. After finding something for him, I dumped the pile near him, before announcing more good news. "Oh, and I found a map!"

Darwin seemed to perk up at this. "May I see it?"

"Sure," I mumbled, as I dug the half folded half crumpled map from my pocket. Dang, these uniform pockets were deep. Darwin took over the map, straightening out the creases and crimps. He studied it with a great intensity, enjoying having something to do again, feeling useful and all. His tone carried an usual alertness, a kind of alacrity I hadn’t seen before. Maybe he was getting much better?

Darwin traced a line from the Great Lift towards what he assumed was our location, asking questions and confirming assumptions to get back to our position. He zigzagged through the maze of corridors until his finger hovered above a storage area, a blank, reserve space as dictated on the map. “This should be where we are right? Or at least the general area."

“Yeah,” I nodded, a little impatient and wanting to get out.

He frowned a little, before stating his point. “We’re awfully close to the perimeter, aren’t we? Shouldn’t the outside be just beyond these walls?"

I moved forward, squinting. Come to think of it, we’ve always been skirting the edges of the base. We did fall from the ‘outermost layer’ in a sense, and followed the curvature of the volcano downwards. Darwin had a point. If that was so, freedom has always just been on the other side...

But I laughed it off, partly because the implications were absurd and I already had a functional, more practical plan in place that I just risked my life to solidify. We couldn’t just throw that out based on mere geographical speculation. “That’s an interesting observation, but we don’t have the ability to tunnel through the wall. If that’s what you’re insinuating. Or dig out, because of the scarcity of Ground-types with us. Let’s just stick to my original plan."

He tried to raise a point. “I actually-"

There was a noise, a disturbance outside that I picked up, blocking everything else out. I straightened up, tensing. “We better hurry. If you’re feeling better, get changed. We have to go now.” I kept my voice to the lowest whisper, my paranoia setting in. I decided to take a peek outside, just in case...

…greeted by an idling Trapinch.

_Trapinch._

I realised far too late, my carelessness extrapolating into a fatal error, a mistake too great to be sheer folly. I spun around, coming into view of Magnus, Emmelyn and Rith sauntering towards me, still a considerable distance away but they would catch up in no time. Trapinch waddled back to them, as I instinctively unsheathed my knife, pointing it towards them. I spotted Magcargo slithering behind, leaving a trail of singed rock in its wake.

“You watch where you’re pointing that, girl.” Emmelyn was the first to speak, wanting to show off her initiative. I ignored her, eyes trained on Magnus. I had to get Darwin out now, and get out fast. Disguises were useless now that they caught us. I moved forward, creating distance between the storage and me. Unfortunately that closed the gap between my adversaries and I. I waved the knife threateningly, but they didn’t seem to buy my bluff.

“What gave me away?” I directed my question at Magnus who paused and decided that a tinge of entertainment couldn’t hurt. His body language exuded ‘amuse me’.

Arms outstretched, he answered. “It was far too obvious. Anyone with a healthy dose of paranoia would have put in precautions. Early into our conversation I had Rith throw out his Trapinch. Now, Arena Trap would have prevented your leave, but it could also be used the other way around. All it does is keep both non-flying entities and the ability user within a certain radius. If the Trapinch was mobile-"

“I would drag it and force it to follow me, leading the Pokemon and by extension their trainer to my destination,” I completed. “Clever."

Rith took his turn to flaunt. “What type of Guard Personnel doesn’t have a Pokemon that can entrap its targets? Shadow Tag is far more useful, I’ll give that credit to young Mason over here. But its effects are noticeable to the trained eye. Mean Look would mean having to waste an actual ‘turn’. This was the simplest, most elegant solution. My Trapinch will never let you go."

Having time between their various monologues, I took a good look at my opponents, studying them. Magnus almost looked like a projection of my mind, a stereotype come to life. A handsome, regal portrait. The only difference was the absence of glasses, but otherwise his Scandinavian roots were unmistakeable in the structure of his face. Rith was far leaner than I envisioned, of a small build that seemed to specialize in speed, agility and stealth. He would’ve made a formidable scout if he wasn’t already one. He continued to gloat well past his welcome, before he coughed a little and fell back towards the supporting cast.

Darwin must’ve gotten the clue by now, considering he could hear me talking and my taking so long. Why hadn’t he come out yet?

There was a buzzing sound, and Magnus retrieved his cell from his coat pocket. It was an interruption, but a rather foreboding one. “Tabitha?” The recognition of that name sent some chills through me. If the leader was already informed about the situation… “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. With only the greatest discretion. Thank you, sir.” He hung up, facing me again. The swift phone call had me anxious.

“What was that all about?” I asked. “Your leader worried that you might slip up again?"

“Leader? No.” Magnus scoffed. “That's Admin Tabitha to you, you imbecile. Our leader is far more than that sorry chum."

Stupid stupid stupid. To assume that any name drop would refer to the leader himself, and not someone who was just in a senior position. I hadn’t bothered to confirm myself, so that was my own slip up. Thankfully it wasn’t a major one. Unlike the other one I just made.

“Now, we have a few things to settle. First of all, I believe you have something that’s mine."

I waved the knife carelessly. “This? I just picked it off a shelf.” Despite the dire situation, a little snark and humour wouldn’t hurt. It was the way I coped anyway.

“Little girls shouldn't be playing with knives. It's dangerous,” Rith cautioned.

“Really?” I made a dramatic ‘o’ with my mouth, putting my free hand to my cheek. "From what I heard, it's pretty much useless."

Magnus began walking again. "You don’t know what you’re doing with it. I won’t repeat myself twice. Hand it ov-"

"The jagged edge doesn’t even look that sharp,” I cut him off, waving my knife in warning to deter him. It didn’t. "Even if I wanted to make a scratch on this wall-"

But as I scraped the edge against the wall with every playful intention to carve it out with the desperation of a trapped prisoner, the knife went through and out, leaving a gash in its wake with a trickle of lava following suit - but cooled within seconds. I yelped, before shooting Magnus a dirty look. He reacted with as much surprise he allowed himself, which was to stop and frown.

“What's this knife supposed to do?” My tone became a dangerous kind of wary. The stakes were rising with each passing second.

"That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Magnus was stoic, unmoving.

I hypothesised out loud. "It’s a knife right? Knives cut stuff. Except this just cut a rock. What was it meant to cut?"

"Girl, don’t push-"

I wanted to correct him, but I felt that it wasn’t wise to exchange my name in this scenario. “I’m guessing, if this was so valuable to you, that it's meant to cut way more things than a normal knife, right?"

Magnus remained tight-lipped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about."

The knife still in my hands, I toyed with it, spinning it and then catching it on the blade. I flinched, but it didn’t cut me. Because I didn’t want it to. I grabbed it by the handle again before slashing the wall once more with it. It cut, even if it felt like I was swinging it through thin air.

Knowing that it wouldn’t hurt me, I flipped the knife, fingers around the serrated edge with the handle pointing towards Magnus. "If I hand it back to you, will you let us go peacefully?"

"I will consider it." But the look in eyes told me that it was a resolute no. I twirled the blade in my hand once more, reverting it back to its original position. The tip gleamed menacingly at him.

"Then the deal's off. Finder's keepers, losers weepers."

"Too bad you won't even be able to weep when we're done with you," Rith threatened, and I didn't doubt him. If we lost here, there was no next time. It seemed that the time for talk was over. Emmelyn stepped forth, ready to take action. 

Her ring finger was now studded with a new stone - one her father had earlier bequeathed her. An ore deeper than blood, galaxies of fire and hatred swirling within it. It had a tough, shiny crust that held it in, and began smouldered with a blinding intensity. The warmer spectrum of the rainbow stood out, as the discordant frequencies the Keystone emitted made Noibat’s sensitive ears cringe. I saw Magcargo blossom, blooming from their shell as I braced myself from the waves of residual steam that would erupt.

I didn’t know Magcargo had a Mega Evolution. But seeing is believing, and I had to deal with this new unknown immediately. Facts were facts.

Mega-Magcargo had evolved into a form beyond repulsive, in the sense that it was danger incarnate. It seemed to age thousands of years in a go, eyelids now heavy with the thick volume of magma that weighed it down. As though it would not, could not see, no discrimination, and it seemed to grow bushy eyebrows and a beard also made of lava. The shell on its back now looked like a miniature sun, enveloped with lava seeping out, causing the entire colour scheme to be a seeping gradation of hell. Coals embedded into Magcargo's base, lava trickling over it without a care in the world. They seemed to root it to the ground, planting it stationary, but it didn't need to move to cause the damage it needed to do.  
  
In the corner, a familiar glow shone, as I spotted the Mega-Camerupt Magnus had brought out. Its thick coat had become shaggier, and the dual mountains had merged into one, solid microcosm of Chimney. Almost as, if not more deadly than Magcargo's uninhibited rumination. It was built to be a tank, seeming to be able to plough through anything with sheer force alone.

I spotted the other smaller players, though just as much of a nuisance. Rith had brought forth a Mightyena, while his Trapinch and Emmelyn's Sableye still lurked in the background. Magnus was leaving no room to breathe, no mercy, all the stops pulled out. He had his own Mightyena at hand, a Crobat of a hawkish variation, and one more Pawniard.

"So this is it, huh?"

I gripped the knife, sheath stuffed in my right pocket, tip aimed towards my adversaries. Lava separated us, a physical boundary converging into a river of death, melting into the earth. It caved into a cesspool of bubbling blood that pumped into Magcargo, at the nexus of it all.

“D-man!” I hollered, my pitch rising an octave, still taking care not to reveal our real names. He scampered out with the entourage, worried, scared and shocked. Over my shoulder, I signaled for him to run. His face was one of anxious confusion, but he complied anyway. With that finally settled, I turned to face the problem head on.

I looked to Noibat, to Fletchling, to Joltik. They acknowledged me, with the understanding of our situation, our friends behind us. This was now or never. Our last stand.

We lunged.


	7. Jagged Edge 2.7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After over a year, we're back. Okay, let's get to it.

Initiative is always key. First mover's advantage is so crucial, it can make or break a confrontation. Some people even willingly bestow it upon others, handicapping themselves as a display of pride and ability.

 

No such unnecessary fanfare from Magnus.

 

Before I could react I was frozen, paralyzed and unable to move. I felt the strike on my shoulder, but couldn't place who did it - everyone remained where they were. Upon closer inspection, I saw a faint, blurry outline where Pawniard was. An afterimage.

 

Fake Out. There was no doubt. Not only had they reacted first, they stole any chance of me getting a move at all. At least that was the intention. Fortunately, my Pokemon could act independent of me. But it was smart, targeting the trainer that way.

 

A slug of fire rained on Pawniard, narrowly missing. Fletchling swooped low, a deterrent to push them back. I vaguely remembered my war fiction. To use the metaphor,

 Magcargo was the dreaded artillery, Camerupt brought the pain of the armour. The rest were varying degrees of foot soldiers, airborne or ground infantry.

 

On my side we had two fighters from the Air Force, and one tiny bug much mightier than he seemed.

 

Like always, it would have to do.

 

Firstly, I had to establish objectives. Ours was to leave. Theirs was to make us stay. This had not changed throughout. They would use whatever means, however extravagant, to achieve this goal, even if it ends in the murder of two innocent teenagers and their Pokemon. Not a comforting thought.

 

While they were overwhelmingly stronger than me, I had a wildcard - my new blade. If I played my cards right, the Joker will be aiding me alongside a smiling god.

 

I sure hoped that was a smile.

 

Camerupt advanced, plodding but steadfast. Magcargo seemed to be building up to another crescendo of fire and rock. But my eyes were on the prize.

 

Trapinch had to be taken out. Just like Gothorita, obviously. This Magnus would also know without a doubt. He'd be doubly cautious, more so than his daughter. Trapinch was all the way at the back, way out of reach. The Mightyenas were snarling, intimidating my side and rapidly decreasing whatever minute amount of Special Attack we had. But we steeled in resolve, getting ready to somehow dodge the next wave of deadly flame.

 

My flying types could get out of range, unhindered by Arena Trap. I wasn't so lucky, having to resort to athletics, old fashioned running. I tried to keep it light, imagining the whole thing to be like a video game, a platformer where you had to continuously dodge attacks. The right mindset was as powerful as your own abilities.

 

A stray volley came close, too close for comfort. I lashed out, my hand moving of its own accord as I split the burning rock, cleaved it straight down the center as it broke off and missed me. This knife here was a trump. I could use it.

 

Unfortunately the divide between us was getting wider, due to the fountain of lava Magcargo pooled. I could only stay within a certain distance of them yet the burning river inched towards me. So much for getting up close and personal. I was pretty sure that if I could physically shiv them, they'd think twice about engaging me.

 

Crobat closed the distance, and we engaged, an aerial tango that I couldn't be a part of. Too risky, when Camerupt could walk through the lava like nothing and Magcargo ejaculated without discretion. Thankfully Darwin had never been in the range of Trapinch, if not...

 

My thoughts were interrupted with a slice from Crobat, the wind narrowly missing me and managing to scrape an arm. The friction was strong enough to turn my skin red, abrasions flaring up. My two flying types weren't able to keep up. Then Crobat went low, swooping for my leg.

 

There was an unpleasant 'clang', like the grinding of metal on metal as the speedster bat came into contact with my prosthetic, sending me off balance and crumpling to the floor. But make no mistake - it did more recoil damage to themselves than anything to me. Once again I had to thank Xavier for saving my hide again and again.

 

Joltik took the opportunity, latching onto me, sending a bolt towards Crobat. But even when injured, the bat was simply too quick, and returned behind the lines.

 

"Camerupt, Lava Plume!"

 

Oh holy hell naw.

 

Camerupt bellowed, deep and strained as though its esophagus was stretched and its diaphragm was made of tar. And then the flames erupted in a ripple, a concentric wave with the camel in the center and I could only panic, slashing downwards.

 

The lava split, curving around me as though I had just raised the Red Sea. And it was an ocean of red, the brightest danger sign I had ever seen, the heat too close for comfort. Magnus gave a distasteful look as another barrage of pseudo meteors fell on me, hammering the ground as I braced. I tried moving backwards but the earth seemed to tug at me, and I couldn't go further, only my knife hand progressing fractionally. still trapped. Looking up, I couldn't spot Trapinch.

 

In that moment, I tripped backwards, the invisible wall I had been leaning on giving way. It could only mean one thing.

 

Trapinch was moving closer-

 

A totem of fire burst from the ground, leaving me with no time to think. I scrambled backwards, tripping, only to have my retreat cut off when a flaming rampart charged out from the rock, engulfing the entire span of the corridor. Sometimes brute force was just as much deterence as anything.

I should've known. We were in a volcano, we were literally surrounded by lava. Any one of these walls could've connected into the main body of lava, which tunneled into the roots of the earth. 

 

And it was at that very moment, when the lava started to collect itself into a singular force to swamp me over, Trapinch decided to burst from the ground, an orchestrated sneak attack gone wrong. The devil crawled, seeping into the earth and charring Trapinch, burning, scalding. Killing.

 

_Killing._

 

I took that word out of my mind, the first to appear, the last thing I wanted to happen, as I hacked violently at the lava around Trapinch, as the poor thing screeched, their stubby legs having tread inferno, the lower left of the jaw scorched, the right side of their face still steaming from the damage. I never felt so desperate and helpless as I carried Trapinch out of their own pit, cradling them in my arms as they let out a curdling scream, the pain unbearable - who would ever subject a poor creature to this torture, who would even let it happen - until they could no longer make a sound, fatigued and hoarse, slipping into an unconsciousness to numb the pain, a concussion to protect their sanity.

 

Arena Trap was lifted, but that was no longer on my mind.

 

Sensing my fragility and having no means to trap me, the opposing cavalry charged. My Pokemon must've sensed how emotionally unstable I was, tears flowing and clouding my vision as I stumbled, Trapinch still in my arms, and they countered the attack. My flying types went straight for the kill, crossing swords with Crobat but letting them pass.

 

Crobat was aiming for me, obviously, but my little hero wouldn't let them. 

Joltik released all his built up static, unbridled yet directed at Crobat, a discharge he would take a while to recover from. The erratic electricity struck Crobat, as they swerved into a wall, paralyzed, but clear out of the range of lava.

 

There was shouting I blocked out, more shafts of fire blazing around me. I just wanted to get Trapinch away from these monsters. Then there was a bright flash from behind, almost like an explosion, and fearing for the safety of my partners, I turned around, momentarily snapping out of it.

 

Fletchinder emerged from the cloud of chaos, bright wings soaring and a victory caw erupting from his lips. He looked sharp, streamlined, a rebellious streak across what seemed to be the avian version of a grin. Noibat looked impressed, screeching in congratulations. His new form was the spoils of taking down that Pawniard for good. They appeared otherwise unharmed, which was good.

 

It would’ve been a triumphant moment, if I hadn’t been so frantic, so messed up. I was still shaking, barely recovering from the suffering I'd witness Trapinch undergo. That image would have a lasting effect on my psyche. But I managed to calm down a little. I still had to get the fuck out of here.

 

The weight of Trapinch was heavy in my arms, but I felt like I could carry them as far as they needed to go. I doubted Rith even really cared how badly hurt they were, only that he had miscalculated, they had failed, and that it was another pawn out of play.

 

Considering Magnus had a Pawniard, along with his ruthless utilitarianism, the chess metaphor seemed sinisterly apt. He would sacrifice anything. They would sacrifice anything. I had to get away.

 

I fell back towards Darwin, heading in the direction I last saw him in, Noibat leading the way, as always. It took some getting used to, seeing Fletchin...der so much bigger now, so much more confident in flight. I could only use that to my advantage now. The time for pride would be later. My wheels came out, and having them as a feature became so, so important.

 

The streams of fire kept coming, looming obelisks that cast no shadow of their own, as I only saw red, red, red. When I had to catch my breath, I drew a thick line across the ground, and I saw the ground part by a mere fraction. As much as I hated lava, I could really use some to hinder their movements for now. The crevasse grew, and all the erupting flame and lava filled the gap, as I still raced onwards.

 

Mere moments later a Mightyena burrowed out of the ground, growling deep. They were clambering against the walls, avoiding the lava. Fletchinder hindered them with a strong barrage of flame, now capable of producing a continuous stream instead of pellets. The Mightyena yelped, dodging to a side as they continued their pursuit, relentless. 

 

Then came another wave of lava, Camerupt’s Lava Plume, flooding the haphazard terrain and I squeaked, all while the earth turned beneath me, threatening to trip me and leave me to die and burn. Their command of fire, earth and rock was so effective, an apocalyptic combination that brought hell into-

 

                                 -I stumbled.

 

Focus focus focus.

 

_**Focus.** _

 

Molten lava now collecting, a Mightyena barging forth, and these endless caverns becoming more disorganised as I ran ahead. Were we getting further away from their base, into untouched regions of the volcano?

 

The road branched, and so did the impending wall of fiery doom. There was a slight downward gradient, and I accelerated, gravity carrying faster and faster, my wheels steering clear of debris, still chasing Darwin, Skiddo-

 

Rock burst sideways just behind me, narrowly missing, Magnus and Rith working blind, but with such terrifying command of the terrain, they were bound to strike me soon. It was just a matter of probability, of chance. The Mightyena somehow still chasing, yelping, the lava behind them. Fletchinder took an about turn, ready to fend off the threat once and for all.

 

Trapinch-

 

“Don’t hurt him!” I shouted, still cognisant of my pacifist ideals. Nobody should have to suffer, nobody should...

 

Fletchinder cawed once in acknowledgement, swooping below and engaging Mightyena. He was stronger now, bigger, more confident. Fletchinder would be alright, I needed to trust that. To trust him. I heard a crackling, the clash and the flames licking the ground. I couldn’t witness the confrontation, and all I could hope was that both parties emerged relatively unscathed, and that it would be alright, it would be alright-

 

-a drop ahead. Less than a meter but still.

 

The terrain ahead was uneven and clumpy, a stretch of boulders and large rocks strewn all over. It would prove tough to navigate, or it could be temporary salvation.

 

“Noibat!” I hollered, as she picked up, straining as I took the leap, and she guided me to a safe landing. Mightyena was forced to retreat and stuck a safe land but remained stranded, surrounded by too much lava to advance meaningfully further.

 

I landed on a boulder, while the lava swirled beneath me. Had to outrun the flood, and now was the best time to gain more distance. With the momentum afforded to me, I took off again, Noibat giving me as much lift as she could, allowing me to bound great distances. I slammed my boots on touchdown, bursting forth with my rocket, giving myself a greater lead, and then taking off again, repeating this pattern when I could, 

 

 

 getting ahead, getting clear, the lava now behind me, hindered by the rocks but still keeping me on the move.

 

The road narrowed, and both the paths and the lava now

 

coooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooo

mooooooooooom

boooooooooe

iooooooor

nooooog

ioooi

non

g

 

into one, the lava sloshing about behind like a death sentence; I cannot emphasize this enough, repeat this in enough permutations, the effect of the lava on me. More than anything.

 

There were howls, and another Mightyena emerged from the other path, hot on our heels.

 

Joltik scurried down the nape of my neck, down the length of my spine, sending ticklish tingles but otherwise allowing me to focus straight ahead. He decided it was his turn to defend. He popped himself out of the bottom of my back, just above the hem of my pants, in the perfect position to zap Mightyena.

 

He didn't get that far, as the Mightyena suddenly started whining, cowering before scampering away, out of sight and promptly out of mind.

 

It didn't take long for me to see why. The lava was catching up fast, like real fast. And riding it was Camerupt, Magnus and Rith taking point, the Mightyena scrambling to find their spot on Camerupt's vast back. So the steed could surf on lava. That was nice to note. Their airborne entourage followed closely behind, adding another layer to this mess.

 

Fletchinder fought fire with fire, wave after wave of flame, all that he could muster. Joltik's errant jolts missed the swift Crobat, and we pushed them back but only slightly. Trapinch still weighed in my arms but knowing that I was their only last haven made me a shelter that would tide over all of nature's elements. I would not relent, not falter, not waver. Not today.

 

Overhead, Crobat picked up speed. Noibat vocalized that we were close to Darwin. I couldn't wait for much longer.

 

There was a burst of energy, fire and electric working in tandem, Joltik and Fletchinder sending flaming bolts that crackled as the arrows collided and pierced the swath of rock Camerupt conjured. I saw yellow and orange and the deepest shades of red dance at the corner of my eyes, felt the wind change and the pressure and temperature fluctuating violently; Noibat kept me looking straight ahead, down corridors and guiding me, skating as fast as I could. It seemed to never end, and with magma sprouting from the earth at every juncture, I couldn't wait for the hellish vision to end. 

 

Joltik was so brave. I felt his pressure, how the static skipped at his feet and prickling my back - if anything further incentive to carry on - the way he charged the energy collecting around him, hurling whatever he could conjure, lances, spears of lightning and the impact of thunder. We were so close, we couldn't give up, not now. I-

 

I felt the dynamo click - full fuel.

 

Tap-bang.

 

One last burst to bring me ahead - distance bought and quickly paid away in dwindling dividends.

 

"Zi Ying!"

 

I heard the urgent cry, as I turned the corner to spot Darwin...against a wall. A dead end. No. Why?

 

"Darwin, what the-"

 

"No time! Just trust me on this one, hand me your knife!"

 

"Wha-?"

 

"I was watching! I kno- Cubone!"

 

Cubone, all sixteen inches of him, the flickering flame mirrored in his skull stepped forward, facing the charge, in the same moment I tossed Darwin my knife. He turned and our eyes met; in that moment, a felt a certain kindred connection between Cubone and I. What he stood for, the mutual loss we had shared. Cubone would always tag along with Darwin, for he was his parent. But I would always be the sibling, the one who understood. The empathy we felt at that moment was electric. We both knew what to do without a single form of communication.

 

Cubone - bless his brave soul - dashed forward, baby steps into strides fit to chase a Taurus, head on into the Crobat who was sent out to deal with us first. The bat decided to brace itself. After all how much damage could a newborn deal? But Joltik released his second, paramount blast of built up lightning, the dizzying arcs converging onto Cubone, the literal lightning rod embodying a charged tackle. All 40,000 volts was concentrated into a single, focused point, colliding into Crobat and exploding with a deafening bang that echoed throughout the volcano.

 

A makeshift Wild Charge. Devastating in execution but costly to the user.

 

He managed to land the somersault, before scampering back behind me, virtually unhurt. This was almost unprecedented - did Cubone somehow inherit Rock Head too? Impossible. Was he special with dual abilities or was it some epigentic fluke of being newborn? We'd never know yet.

 

I was wrong to assume Magcargo would be immobile. They were simply more efficient that way. They provided firepower far stronger than Camerupt, and came around the corner, a furious Emmelyn riding them. I've heard that fire type Pokemon could control what their flames burnt - I didn't think it'd extend to lava, but it did.

 

"It's the end of the line, girl!" 

 

All the players were in place, Camerupt threatening to plough through us, carrying the momentum of lava and dashing us against the thick walls. Darwin could barely make scratch marks against the wall, a looming hull that could be our final resting place.

 

"What's the hold up?"

 

I could hear panicked metal against rock. "It's not working! I-"

 

"Are you mad? What if lava spills out from the other side?"

 

"It won't! I know this to be true. I-"

 

Fletchinder and Noibat combined their firepower, one last dash of sonic and pyro kinetic amalgamation, a force that swept and pushed against the trio and their Pokemon. I leapt back, wresting the knife free from Darwin, and began hacking away at the wall. The stone gave way like slicing through tofu, but they were otherwise still lodged, like pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. All I was accomplishing was abstract art, which is noted for being the fourth least productive activity ever and in the top three methods of getting yourself killed real quick.

 

And then the burst-

  

-an e x  t   e     n        d             i                     n                                  g     fist-

 

-the **smash** and

 

**!!!E X P L O S I O N!!!**

 

sp

    linters and chunks everywhere-

 

A familiar shade of mellow green, the smell of roasted mushrooms.

 

Water - sweet, sweet liquidy goodness - rushing in, never mind how murky it was - felt so good around my calves - and meeting the lava, bringing out the hissing indicative of rapid cooling as steam fogged up the cavern.

 

That kind smile-

 

-a smiling god-

 

-on a determined face.

 

Contessa.

 

What was she-?

 

"Breloom, Mach Punch!"

 

The fighter sprung forth, pummeling straight into Mightyena, whose claws raked deep into Camerupt's back to prevent falling off. There was a bellow, the deepest shriek of pain and then a tapering moan, Camerupt slumped and Mightyena knocked out. Breloom returned to his trainer's side, springy on his toes and raring for another go.

 

"Contessa? Darwin?"

 

"Hush now babygirl," Contessa assured me, fists clenched. "We're gonna get you all outta here."

 

"No you are not!" Rith raised an arm, another Pokeball-

 

-getting socked straight in the face by Breloom, as the lights went out on him and he rolled over, the camel's back reverberating with another thud.

 

If Magnus was incensed, he did a good job of hiding it well. Despite the mayhem, he kept his cool, hopping off Camerupt onto a dry, scorching slab, meticulously eyeing me. It had a creepy vibe, panoptic, as though nothing could escape that gaze.

 

"Let the kids go," Contessa ordered, no more bargaining in play.

 

"Afraid I can't do that, ma'am," Magnus bowed, ever so slightly, before lashing out so suddenly, dishing out damage so fast it was invisible as Breloom fell, burnt belly, super effective. Camerupt hummed, a low murmur that slowed to a chuckle. Ever vigilant.

 

The ceiling shuddered, a cascade of rock, the downpour Magcargo's move as Noibat moved in instead of out, taking the initiative, the opening-

 

-a single rock grazing Fletchinder, causing the bird to lose balance, smashing into another boulder and then another, a percussion of ricochets as he lost consciousness;

 

Contessa dragging me out, screaming, the opening she had come from, that we created, into the darkness of a new morning, within the shade of a forest of shadows. The opening now sealed with crumbling rocks, my two best partners trapped inside.

 

"-no!" I forced myself, choking, tears as I couldn't believe Contessa, would've just let me-

 

"It's not over yet," she calmly reminded me. "Not just yet."

 

No sooner had she finished her words did the barricade blast open, a great sizzling of cooling magma splayed across the grass, ashes upon ashes swirling into the rising morning, as Magnus stepped out, red to black, in each hand one partner, tossing them casually at my feet. Their breathing heavy, I whimpered; that they breathed at all, relief.

 

"This is my final mercy. Now we can do this the painless way, or the agonizing way."

 

"Neither, thank you very much," Darwin mumbled, defiant. 

 

"It's over, Magnus," I bared my teeth, my heart disbelieving the blatant lie that slipped through them. "We're out now, and more help could arrive at any moment. Better to accept your defeat, cut your losses, and retreat. Mount your defenses, seal the doorways, abandon entrances and exists to guard your cause. Because you've been a failure then, as you are a failure now." I taunted and taunted, using every logical faculty, every psychological leverage I could muster. "And the sooner you accept that the sooner you can work towards being anything but. And the great one has a legacy to build, doesn't he? A legacy beyond that of failure?"

 

Magnus paused, very deliberate, completely still, his chest hardly even moving. Then ever so slowly, he turned, facing me straight on, craning his head to an unnerving angle, the uncanny tilt making the puppeteer look like a marionette. Those eyes were lifeless, hollow, saw through you. I got the same sense of foreboding as before, but stronger, amplified.

 

And after what felt like a suffocating period of silence he straightened himself, an impeccable, meticulously manufactured posture before striding off, head in a neutral position conveying neither pride nor shame as he disappeared.

 

"True. I may be a failure then, but my legacy is not."

 

He let the words linger, their true meaning sinking in, as my heart plummeted - those were not meant for us - watching the second, smaller silhouette emerge from the hole; her wispy golden hair looking like solar flares lit up by her partner gliding behind her, as she came into the foreground; Magnus turning back ever so slightly, as though accusing me: those were your words, not mine.

 

"Make me proud," Magnus commanded, before leaning in and whispering a few choice words into Emmelyn's ear. 

 

They destroyed her. I could see the change in her muted expression, the distraught, the despair, the torment. Those words were those of a manipulator, a sick bastard and a control freak. One day, I would hunt Magnus down, and I would make him pay for every conflicted emotion he's inflicted on Emmelyn, every subtlety he attempted to mold, each twist of his daughter around his finger, more contrived and ensuring that she could never be free. Perhaps not even in death.

 

He was the worst kind of human. 

 

Contessa had wasted no time after Magnus' departure, Gastrodon already at the ready, a unique combination suited to extinguishing the wildest of flames, an eddy of sloshing mud already churning at their base, the one responsible for halting the lava's progress in the first place. 

 

"Magcargo, Flood."

 

Emmelyn's arms were spread out, indicating that all was to be razed to the ground, with nothing but smoulders left in its wake.

 

But Magcargo did not advance.

 

Darwin saw it first. The light going out of Emmelyn's keystone, but Magcargo still maintaining their form. The flicker from a far off background, a spark reignited, the torch effortlessly passed on.

 

He had never meant for her to triumph.

 

This realization hit harder than anything today, as Contessa gave off the shrillest whistle possible, as I stood there stunned-

 

-throwing Pokeballs everywhere, and I didn't even complain, the orbs scooping up the fallen and the weakened, returning to her belt or towards the storage-

 

-twin avians descending, one Staraptor and Swellow, as I was hauled onto the former with Contessa, my eyes still replaying the look of shock, of irrevocable betrayal on Emmelyn's face as she spun-

 

-flood rippling faster than pestilence and plague, swallowing the earth and then some more, the crack of dawn and the crash of trees, a collapsing heaven and a haven no more-

 

 

what is and what isn’t.

 

From above there was a patch of supernova, a violent storm being born from the pits, like a demon trying to crawl out from the earth, no life, no nothing. A boiling, parasitic cyst that was a stain on the land.

 

And even up there sixty feet above, still no reprieve. Pyrotechnic arcs, semicircular bridges hurled in a streak of light, Magcargo the catapult, catalyst. We took a dive which stopped my heart, and Staraptor trebucheted us forward, flinging us further but not out of range.

 

Magnus was relentless. I knew that. He would never stop even if we fled to the edges of Hoenn. Not even if we went as far as Kalos. He'd still hunt us down. I could still feel the connection, that line of sight between his apathetic eyes, transfixed on mine, an invisible string woven into the fundamental fabric of reality, never to be snapped, never to be cut.

 

The knife felt heavy in my pocket, as though it would drag me down, straight towards Magnus, if I didn’t take it out there and then. My fingers deft, gripping the handle, featherlight, never letting go as though the blade was my lifeline.

 

I wished then and there the only thought left true in me, the one thing I wanted so badly.

 My knife arm swung on its own volition, blade a split second whir through the morning dew, and I felt the fog lift, stinging clarity and relief for the first time since I could remember. If there was a tension, I couldn't feel it anymore, a certain dissolving and disintegration beneath my digits.

 

And then I faded to the dark; darker yet darker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Otherwise known as, Gimmicks Galore! This has been an incredibly challenging chapter to write (and format!), the climax of this arc! There’s one more cooldown chapter left, followed by the epilogue Protagonist chapter, and it’s a wrap for this arc. Thank you so much for reading, and your comments are always appreciated!
> 
> UPDATE: Well, that was written ages ago. Okay, here's the sad truth and plan - Second and Thirds is canceled (there's no more than like 3 people following this, so not like it matters). BUT, there's still a bit before we wrap things up, and for now, enjoy.
> 
> Thank you for reading my story.


	8. Jagged Edge 2.8

Up was down and left was right. Gravity has no meaning, or does it? Waterfalls flow up, or then curving in a C, pavements snaking towards nothing and going topsy turvy, connecting bodies of water that tunnelled into a pyramid.

 

The murky haze coated my consciousness, puddles of muddle and murk, befuddled gloom the only emotion that registered. I saw predominantly amethyst, a palette of lavender, the sweetly sick smell of discord, spook creeping up my limbs. My body didn’t think to move - it just did.

 

Physics was completely ignored - no, it was one step further, like a sort of doublethink. You didn’t even remember that the world forgot about physicality, like the world was dissociated and detached, at such a fundamental level that you assumed this was the way things has always been, in a fluid and natural way. The acceptance had a certain weight to it, the rewiring of my thought processes that brought about this outcome. Like a gargantuan shadow sneaking up to you, looming over you, all encompassing, omnipresent.

 

Grandeur was one word to describe it - awe without being overwhelmed. I heard a whisper of instructions, lucid like the tingling bells in autumn churches at sundown. Violet attracted me, the subtlest of gravity and I saw the structure, sitting at the centre of this microcosm of a universe, distorting all around it. Six rings that whose symbolic weight skirted the borderlines of olympian, yet in a vague, feverish way. One of the rings was fragmented, breaking apart and swaying in limbo, like objects in space that hadn’t really decided how they were supposed to drift.

 

All six orbited a being, a silhouette, shade deeper than the night, unmoving. I couldn’t clearly make out the shape, as though the closer I looked the fuzzier things got, and then my head would receive a migraine of the otherworldly likes, and I would be absorbed into a momentary trance until my gaze was elsewhere. The whole thing was very surreal, as though my spirit had lifted, then streamed around myself like mobius rivers to nowhere. As though my soul wasn’t mine to begin with, that my heart was never in the right place, that my mind was a fallacy.

 

There were only revolutions,

 

And then there was nothing.

 

\---

Consciousness permeated as rapidly as it left, my surroundings violently bubbling into view as my instincts told my limbs to scramble, my lungs to trash about as I gulped a fresh breath of air; my free hand searching for Staraptor's plumage as I gripped tight. Contessa grabbed me, hoisting me back on. 

 

"You gave me a scare there, girl! Nearly falling off like that!"

 

I could still hear the dissipating whistles of projectiles, the shrill echoing into the vast morning expanse.

 

"How long was I out?" I asked, guessing that the answer would've amounted to not much. So it wasn't due to fatigue, then.

 

"You were?" Contessa frowned. "I barely noticed. You turned back, slashing at nothing and then you seemed to lose your balance."

 

So literally no time at all. Whatever dreamscape I entered was outside time itself. Which was comforting I guess. I might've been splat on the ground if it wasn't. 

 

"Nevermind," I said, letting the drubbing of my heart slow back to a dull percussion, the pounding blood draining out of my ears. The new silence didn't go unnoticed. The attacks stopped, whoever they came from. I had a feeling we’d be safe from now on.

 

As we circled down to earth, landing, I allowed myself to slouch, slumping back onto the great bed of feathers. I was exhausted, and the day was only starting. What a night.

 

Lavaridge welcomed us, the vapour from the hot springs condensing into a cool sprinkle that gave the air a distinct freshness, a nice little wake up nudge. Darwin flopped off his bird, rolling and lying face down in on the chilly pavement. “Don’t wanna moveeeee,” he whined.

 

“Get up, child.” Contessa encouraged, ever motherly. “You can rest when you’re on a proper mattress."

 

It took the combined efforts of Munna, Ralts and Cubone to haul Darwin to his feet, as he reluctantly trudged behind us, each step begrudging. We checked into the inn, requesting a temporary room on emergency grounds. Contessa promised to settle the financial details after.

 

The owner, ever kind with a remarkable display of Hoenn hospitality showed us to the largest room available, futon mattresses already prepared as Darwin collapsed into them. Contessa peeled his dirty top off him, as he rolled and gave muffled complains through his pillow.

 

After setting down Trapinch, I pried myself from my tight, sweaty Magma uniform, only taking a bathrobe off a hanger to cover up. One of the helpers offered us tea, which was much appreciated. I sipped the herbal concoction as I waited patiently for Contessa to settle things. When she seemed free enough to talk, with a warm towel in her hand to scrub Darwin’s back, I started talking.

 

“So, what’s going on? And I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but how on Hoenn did you show up?"

 

Contessa dunked the towel in her basin of warm water, before wringing it and continuing to give Darwin a proper cleansing. “Your good friend here is incredibly resourceful. He took the extra precautions you didn’t. First of all, he contacted me three days before you left, asking if I would be hanging around the Lavaridge area. I decided to give the Pass a shot - baby steps for training, right? And Darwin my boy tells me what’ll be going down, and your ETA at Chimney’s base. He said to standby if he didn’t contact me by two hours after that."

 

So Darwin had been planning on his own. Sneaky, but good. Being paranoid enough always covered as many bases as possible. Redundancy was best when it came at little cost with great, circumstantially optional benefits. This failsafe was one of them.

 

“I get a tad worried three hours after the approximated estimate. But this is you we’re talking about. I had the confidence that you’d handle whatever spelunky you landed yourself into. That was until I got the call early this morning."

 

“Call?” I shot Darwin a look. All I got was his ass in the air pointing straight at me.

 

Contessa gave an amused look. “You need to give your neighbour more credit - he has an awful lot he’s capable of on his own. Whatever room he was in, he manage to scavenger and salvage enough parts to assemble some mini-amplifier or antenna which extended the range of your mobile’s signal, allowing him to contact me. He’s far beyond the need for your coddling."

 

I was amazed. Like yes, I knew that Darwin was good with machines, but not that good. No wonder he seemed awake and alert when I got back to our resting spot. “Is that true?"

 

“hrummpharum,” came the inaudible reply. I expected no more.

 

"So you came," I concluded, the rest didn't need to be said. Contessa heeded Darwin's distress signal, managed to get the birds from the farm and link up geographically with us. She then did her damned best to burrow through with Breloom's Mach Punch - a trick picked up from me. Then we met, and the rescue was complete.

 

She had saved my life now not once, but twice, when I had most needed it. There was little I could do to repay her. Nothing but gratitude welled in me as I bowed to her. "Thank you so, so much. I don't... I can't..."

 

"There, there...it's alright hun. You're alright now." She patted my shoulders, firm and full of comfort. Contessa turned her attention away and so did I.

 

Trapinch was shivering, still knocked out, and I prayed they stayed that way. When they came to, it was to a world of pain, the scars now registering, without the mask of horror and shock to cushion the blow. It would be devastating.

 

Picking up the knife by its handle, my hands quivered, and again went by instinct.

 

I carved, a gentle gesture that seemed to slice me away from reality itself. There was a heaviness to everything, a trance-like state descending on me, or was I descending into it?

 

_What is it that you wish to cut?_

 

I want to end their pain. I want the Trapinch to stop suffering.

 

_Oh, then the easiest way would be to snuff out their life. You don't need-_

 

No! I don't want to kill them!

 

_So, another way. I could remove their suffering. Forever._

 

Forever?

 

_It will have never happened and will never happen again._

 

That’s… good and all, but not feeling suffering…

 

_I was talking about physical suffering, in_ fact _if you want I could-_

 

No. I could not make that decision for Trapinch. Robbing them of a very vital part of what it means to feel alive? Pain is… necessary. For so many things. I couldn’t just…

 

_Then, no then._

 

You can't just carve out this instance of suffering?

 

_No._

 

I want to make it as though that instance never happened. The burning, the bleeding, the boiling. I want to hack it all away. Whatever happens next, I don’t care for now, but I don’t want Trapinch to suffer because of what I did then.

 

_Cut away an instance?_

 

Time! Yes, time. I want to carve away that period of time from Trapinch, if it can be done.

 

_Irreversibly, permanently slice away the past, say, four hours of that Trapinch’s life?_

 

So that it never happened?

 

_So that it never happened._

 

Then, yes. I will sever that time from them.

 

_And so it will be done. You just have to will it._

 

 

_Four rings._

 

And then I blacked out for good.

\---

This is a reflection, but then again not really.

 

We are submerged deep, riding the currents of an ocean so vast and empty it might as well be a void. This is where thoughts go to die; this is where dreams live again, if this little whizz can be considered life. Or is it death?

 

Nonetheless, this is a consciousness beyond consciousness, subconsciousness relegated to a sub-sub-sub, sub-sub-sub category and so far removed is it even safe to say it is my consciousness anymore?

 

Is it yours?

 

Ours?

 

Who is even speaking now?

 

But no matter, we shall not dwindle on such trivialities of direction. What I wish to discuss is much more important, much more pertinent. Even poetically apt.

 

Remember this name, that of the great one. Of Magnus, for this will be the last time you hear it. See it? How are y- excuse me. Rude for me to digress. It will be the last time you experience it, because I (I?(???)) have chosen to no longer experience it. Not now, not ever, perhaps even have never?

 

But basically, I would like to discuss the aftermath, in an aftermath where the aftermath never really haven, would have never been brought up. Not anywhere but here. Here it is recorded. Here it is noticed.

 

Here it is archived, and here it will sit.

 

You may rewrite the fundamentals of reality but reality will always exist, will always be. You can never truly undo what has already been done.

 

I present, the hypothetical.

 

:: BEGIN HYPOTHETICAL::

 

Strangulation.

 

I thought I was going to die of strangulation.

 

A good many things to choke upon. Bile, sick. Smoke. Tears. Pain and anguish and all the things that leave you gasping for air.

 

Recognition.

 

Empathy.

 

Because what I hadn’t noticed, but nagged me since the encounter was how much Magnus was like me. I didn’t focus on it during our skirmish as I was busy panicking but it was always there. The way he thought about problems, his paranoia, the way he considered every angle and just. It was spooky. He might’ve gotten me with less caution, with the wildcard I had in my hand - just like how I flubbed against the thief back at Petalburg, surrendering to his unknown ‘weapon’. It just spoke volumes about how alike we were.

 

I never want to be so alike to someone.

 

Someone so vile.

 

Someone who understands and uses the knowledge for their own means. To manipulate, to control, to twist. Without an ounce of sympathy or kindness. I couldn’t stand that. Was that what I could become, stripped of everything I hold dear? What are values? What are morals?

 

To prevent me from distorting into that monster.

 

It was ultimately his downfall, but also his daughter’s. Oh Emmelyn, oh Emmelyn.

 

Why?

 

I couldn’t help you.

 

I couldn’t save you.

 

I couldn’t-

 

…

 

…

 

I couldn’t.

 

And just like that I’m a little emptier.

 

…

 

…

 

What good is revenge if it doesn’t - can’t - undo what’s already been done? Bringing Magnus to justice won’t bring his daughter back. Killing Magnus won’t do that either. Is this burden mine? How will I ever relieve this burden? The life, a life of someone who was my enemy but still a life? A misguided, misfortunate life who was born and grew up in the wrong place at the wrong time? To a wrong… family?

 

How can I do justice to Magnus when I won’t even remember him, can’t remember him? How to deal with something I can’t even know I’m dealing with?

 

I choke on frustration, on anger, on heat and soot.

 

On emptiness.

 

I will never feel whole again, even if I cut out the void from my life.

 

At least I could save another.

 

::END HYPOTHETICAL::

 

This has been absurd. Uncomfortable. Narratively incongruent. I suppose this is what comes of sudden trauma, the result of forcibly negating and erasing and scratching at the surface of a vast universe we will never even (undefined). I will resurface soon, even from these depths from which nothing has returned from. Where nothing can even sink to. Beyond experience, beyond understanding, beyond imagination.

 

We may never meet again, and I hope we do not. So, fare thee well. But nonetheless, I am obliged to utter these words.

 

See you soon.

—-

When I came to, it was after a good amount of rest. Contessa must've thought I was too tired, and didn't bother me. That was only partially correct, and though my dreams weren't as vividly lucid as the first, my consciousness did feel like I was in some kind of a limbo.

 

But being the adult she is, she helped to settle all the administrative stuff - contacting our parents, assuring them that we were fine, yada yada. When all was said and done we'd decided to chill and spend a good afternoon at the hot springs. 

 

Darwin made his way to the men's while we made our way to the ladies'. The 'open' section was inconspicuously empty, save one or two figures shrouded by the cloudy mist. The Pokemon had their own section, and we dropped them off before entering the changing rooms.

 

A curtain of steam draped over the pools, featuring tourists and locals alike of all ages and body types. Those at the extreme ends of the age spectrum tended to flaunt themselves while those in between - like me - tended to be more modest. I opted for a large towel that wrapped around my frame. Contessa was more liberal, covering only below her waist.

 

We dipped into the warm water and let the sensation take us. It was an ecstasy of calm, tranquility that soothed, relaxing my sore muscles in spots I didn't know could be so sensitive, the water massaging the soles of my feet to the awkward blades of my shoulders. All was peaceful and all was good.

 

Until I saw her. 

 

I mean it was still good but it felt like someone just tased the pool and gave me a refreshingly new awakening of the senses.

 

If Bernice wore the crown of nobility, she wore the halo of divinity. If there were an angel that walked the earth, it would've been her. Eyes the shade of the richest mahogany bark; skin like a blend of universal earth, soil that has traveled to every corner of this planet. 

 

All of her in her lithe glory, wading knee deep in the pool across mine. Her nude figure coated in a robe of vapor, the slender curves that accentuated her maiden-like figure.

 

To say my jaw dropped would be an understatement. Contessa caught me drooling, and I blushed, a shade of red brighter than the lava coursing through Chimney.

 

"You should go talk to her," she suggested, and I realized she already knew. I tried to hard it so hard the last time, but... I wasn't sure whether to feel dumb that I did a terrible job, or that Contessa had no problem at all. The world truly is changing. Kinda.

 

I took a glance at Contessa, fists balled up as I stood up. She gave me a gentle push on my back, as I tiptoed out of my pool into hers, doing my best to minimize my disturbance and ripples. This called for a delicate situation and I wanted to be in the right mindset. 

 

She was alone, body now submerged and relaxed. I edged myself closer to her, casually slipping myself in, before clearing my throat, and speaking up.

 

"Hey."

 

"Hi," she responded, voice barely above a whisper. If I wasn't already entirely wet my hands would've been all clammy and sweaty.

 

I did my best to bring out my confidence. "You come here often?" Alright that was a tad too loud. Soften it down, Ying.

 

"Not really. This is only my second time in these springs." 

 

My heart sank. "So you're a tourist?

 

"Oh no, I'm from Kalos, but for now I'm in Hoenn. My family moves around quite a bit. We currently stay in Lavaridge but we've never really...been to the hot springs, surprisingly." She splashes the water lightly, childlike, reveling in the moment.

 

Kalos. My mind lit up. Common topic. "Woah, I'm from Kalos too! I mean I was, but then my dad moved back to Hoenn and my family runs the farm up at Fallarbor which is pretty cool - you can check it out if you want."

 

"Oh? That sounds wonderful." Her tone was sound soothing, exotic yet so familiar. "I'd love to, I've never been to a farm. And so close by..."

 

Time to take the plunge.

 

“So, beautiful missus, I spotted you from over there and just...wanted to get to know you, and I-"

 

She giggled, stopping me in my tracks. Her smile - oh girl. It was so radiant, warmth of a perfect sun; a personality of its own, demure and gentle and magical in every single way. I could fit adjectives here all day long and it would still undermine that smile. Those eyes were of understanding, of knowing exactly what I wanted, cutting through all the fluff and getting to the point.

 

"Miracolina." Lyrical, both the composition and delivery of those letters. Like a hymn composed for the choirs upon choirs of angels above. And yet she was still human. What a wonder. What a blessing, for her to volunteer her name herself.

 

"Zi Ying," I grinned, shoulders loose and my body at ease, letting myself surrender to grace. "I'm Zi Ying."

 

\---

 

"I got her number!" I squealed, unable to contain my excitement as we stepped out of the changing room and I was sure no one else was near.

 

Contessa glowed. "That's great, dear." She adjusted the waistband of her pants as she brought me into a side hug. I embraced her thick waist as we made our way back to the room.

 

"Did you have a good chat?" she asked. "It looked like you were having fun."

 

I grinned and blushed at the same time. "It was wonderful, but also so awkward! I messed up so many times! But she - Miracolina," I loved the way her name just rolled off my tongue, "was just so patient and cool with it all. Towards the end I actually let one loose in the water! Can you believe that? Like I wanted to die of embarrassment! Burrow my head like a reverse-Diglett and just. But moments after the bubbles settled she just started giggling and that made me giggle and I guess...it turned out okay." I spluttered it all out in a single paragraph, barely catching my breath. It was just so exciting, talking about her - about us.

 

Contessa beamed like a proud parent, fishing for her room key. No words were said, but I just knew what they were. And I was so, so eternally grateful.

 

"Darwin darling, could you pass me my bag please?" asked Contessa as we entered the room. Darwin was already freshly showered with dinner placed on the table - steamed dumplings, the savoury wrapped in pandan, the sweet laced with honey. The fragrance was mellow, mild, but pleasing and much needed. It got my appetite going, but I wanted to rest just a little while.

 

I plopped down, let the creases pool and converge into the mattress, as I sunk into the cotton. Bliss, this was. Tomorrow morning it would be time to head back, and welcome my eternity of being grounded. I don't expect the adults would take the blusters in my recent escapade lightly.

 

But right here right now. It was all just right. Everything is okay.

 

Until the next time.


End file.
